The Hardest Choice
by IIJamesII
Summary: 'Families are like branches on a tree, we grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one'. SYOT CLOSED (24/24 Remain)
1. Prologue 1: The Twist

**A/N: What's this? A new SYOT?!**

* * *

**President Remus Snow**

**President Of Panem, 20, Male**

* * *

I quickly pull on my blazer and spread a smile across my face.  
"Are you excited?" Asks my seven-year-old daughter.  
"Of course, it's a quell twist announcement!" I cry.  
"You don't look excited." I pick her up and laugh.  
"That's because Daddy gets a bit nervous in front of big crowds."

Suddenly, I hear a loud noise from outside my house.  
"Everybody, please give it up for President Snow!" I drop Lucie, my daughter, to her feet and open the grand doors. I am blinded by the brightness and become almost deaf from the roaring crowds. I rush off to the microphone and begin.

"Welcome Panem and thank you for listening in to our quell twist announcement!" I shout and my nerves immediately disappear. I take the envelope from atop the table beside me and open it, I almost drop the paper when I see what's on it. "_As a reminder to the rebels that they had the choice of peace but chose for their beloved to die instead. The tributes will be reaped from any age and whoever is reaped will decide a family member to replace them." _I hear nothing but howls and claps, I couldn't imagine having to choose one of my family to go. Don't get me wrong I love The Hunger Games but there is a reason it's not just volunteered participation because hardly anyone wants to go. Of course, there are careers but do they really want to go that much?

"Thank you, President Snow!" I carry on looking, blankly, at The Capitol audience, stuck in my own mind. "That's your cue to go Sir." I blink and shake my head, before heading back towards my house. I wonder who these next tributes will be...

**A/N: No, I am not discontinuing Dancing Stars, but this is the sequel! I decided to have submissions open, just so I have a big variety and you guys have more time to submit. The deadline will most likely be not long after I finish up Dancing Stars. I will be attempting to make these chapters longer than Dancing Stars, and the District 11 Male will be closed because of the plot of one of last year's tributes.**

**Rules:**

**1) Not first come first serve, I will pick the tributes that will fit the plot. That means no reservations.  
2) No Mary Sues or Gary Stus', they will be immediately unaccepted.  
3) Google form submissions only.  
4) I know the struggle of being a guest but no guest submissions.  
5) You have so much time to submit these tributes so please take your time! The more detail the better the chances of victor or final 3.  
6) When submitting know that I will be expecting you to read along. By the time I have finished the story I expect you to be at the bloodbath at the least.  
7) No need to review every chapter.  
8) Have Fun, of course!**

**I may be making another prologue, so see you then!**

**-James**


	2. Prologue 2: That Day

**A/N: Here is prologue 2, thanks for everyone who has submitted so far. I clear up a couple of questions near the bottom of the chapter and this is for you to get to know a little bit about my Panem's past.**

* * *

**Felcia Tyla**

**Head Gamemaker, 36**

* * *

I remember it like it was yesterday but in fact, it was 7 years ago. I'd just become a Gamemaker and The 143rd Annual Hunger Games were upcoming. There hadn't been any rebel attacks since the failed rebellion and no one had seen it coming.

I twist in my chair and skim through a couple of emails, mostly from the President. Remus has been needing me a lot since that day, I guess you could say I am like his Mother.

_I finally got Lucy into her dress for the day!_

I read and smile as I look at a blonde girl with a colorful rainbow dress and beautiful purple eyes. Remus adopted Lucy just a few months earlier after I had suggested it and when he saw her they fell in love.

I hadn't seen him that happy since before that day.

I lean back in my chair and put my head back. I hear the music, the laughter and the cries for our President. Lilay Snow was celebrating her 36th Birthday and, a few days late, her second year of the presidency after her Father had passed away. Her father was a kind man and had always been loved by the whole Capitol, I remember Remus telling me about how he used to buy him loads of Christmas presents and tell him bed-time stories.

The sun had just begun to set and Lilay picks up a sharp knife from the table, stabbing it into the cake. That's the moment I saw them, they were planes, not just any planes though, they were bombing planes. I screamed and had grabbed the closest person to me and ran, never turning back. I hear crying and looked beside me at a 13-year-old boy.

"Remus?" I asked and he had nodded, I had saved the now last remaining Snow.

The next 5 years had gone like a breeze, vice president (Jenna Moray) took the role of president, although she was no Snow, she had managed. When Remus turned 18 she'd decided to hand over her title onto him, a few days later Jenna was found dead in her office. No one knew how and the Capitol was told it was suicide but I knew better. We hadn't heard from the rebels since.

I roll up the blinds to my dimly lit office and look out at the parades of people, cheering and laughing. It was hard to believe that day was 7 years ago.

**A/N: Hope you liked the chapter, I know it was, yet again, a little short.**

**Questions people have been asking:**

**1) Why is Remus so young? I hope this chapter answered that.  
2) Did Remus have Lucy at 13? No, she was adopted by him.  
3) What is the age gap? I have told a few people 12+ but I decided to extend it to 10+.  
4) Are volunteers allowed? Yes, they are, they'd still have to pick a family member to go instead though.  
5) What if they have no living family? They go in themselves.  
6) Can you choose someone of another sex from you? Yes.**

**If you have any other questions, PM me. I am excited to see your submissions!**

**-James**


	3. Prologue 3: Sisters

**A/N: Submissions still open! Please, get submitting.**

* * *

**REBEL Maia Grayhart **

**District 12, Female, Victor of the 129th Hunger Games, 28**

* * *

The hovercraft lands with a bump and my nerves end. Every time I took this trip I would shiver and shake, which wouldn't change for a long time.  
"Miss Grayhart." Greets an older man in a nice tux. I laugh,  
"Please Graham, call me Maia!"  
"Sorry Miss Maia." He says with a smirk and I roll my eyes, I treated him more like a friend than a servant, it only felt right. I start to unbuckle myself from the hovercraft's seat but Graham ends up having to help me.

"This way, Maia." He leads out the open door of the hovercraft and onto some dead, dry land. Graham puts his card on a scanner and the rusty metal gates, that stand in front of me, open.  
"Are you sure they wouldn't notice a hovercraft going into District 13?" I ask.  
"I'm completely sure, hovercrafts have been going in and out from here for years and they haven't noticed!" I had to admit, the president was slightly on the unintelligent side.

Graham steps atop a circular metal thing and I follow. Again, Graham swipes his card and the circular tube shoots down, it kind of reminded me of when I was in The Hunger Games and that wasn't something I like to be reminded of. We come to an immediate stop and we're greeted by a jolly lady, some would call her fat but I would call her wide. I knew about insecurities and I wasn't about to start that for someone else. The lady, called Kessie, leads us down a narrow corridor and into an office. Kessie gets to her knees at the sight of the lady behind the desk, President Winsor.  
"Thank you, Kessie." The lady replies and shoos her away.  
"Now, now. Hello Maia."  
"Lyra." I acknowledge her and she scowls.  
"That's President Winsor to you!"  
"You were just as bad-tempered back home. I remember when Mom and Dad always called you a drama queen."  
"And you the angel. That's part of the reason I left because of those scumbags but-."  
"Lyra Grayhart! Do not call your parents scumbags."  
"Ah, always acting like the elder sister."  
"You mean the more responsible one." Tears fell down my eyes, this was the first time I had seen my sister since my Hunger Games. "Why did you never come back?"  
"After your sign of rebellion, they came for us. Killed Mom and Dad but I got away."  
"They killed Mom and Dad?" I choke out and Lyra nods. "That's why you sent the attack on Lilay's birthday?"  
"Correct but it failed."  
"Remus."  
"Yes."  
"What are you going to do to him, Lyra..?"  
"You'll see." She smiles a cruel and malicious smile. Sure he killed innocent kids and his family ruined my life but he didn't know what he was doing. He didn't deserve what was coming and I would stop it.

**A/N: Starting to see a subplot forming? I will probably have the next prologue from the victor of Dancing Stars, after the epilogues, so it may be a while!**

**-James **


	4. Prologue 4: Rebels?

**A/N: The last prologue.**

* * *

**Vidia Ciele**

**Victor Of The 149th Hunger Games, District 2, Female, 18**

* * *

The doorbell rang and I quickly climb out of bed, heading downstairs. My parents both sit on the sofa, staring at the TV, they had retired from work ever since I had won The Hunger Games.

The doorbell rings again and I push a comb through my light brown hair, I have to make myself presentable at the least. It rings again, how impatient are they?

"I'm coming!" I call out and pull on my jacket that hangs by the front door so I'm not seen in my PJs.

I open the door to reveal a muscular figure, he's extremely tall and has dark brown hair. He is African American of race and wears a grey suit, my eyes quickly trail to his waist where a small pistol is attached to his belt.

"Vidia, who is it?" My mom calls and I just stare blankly at the unwelcome visitor.

"Nobody, mom." I can tell this man doesn't want anyone but me.

"Vidia Ciele." He says and outstretches his hand, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." I take his hand hesitantly and he gives me a warm smile as he shakes strongly.

"Same to you, I guess," I reply.

"Can I talk to you outside?" Suddenly, I remember something that happened last month. I had been just like this, a guy at my door, asking to speak to me. I hadn't gone and had threatened to call the Peacekeepers.

"Leave me alone, you creepy stalker," I growl and attempt to slam the door shut but his foot blocks it from closing.

"Miss Ciele, please, let us talk to you." He says, he expresses no emotions. I know I shouldn't go out there, after all, curiosity killed the cat but curiosity won't kill me.

I open the door again and slowly exit my house and into Victor's Village. I close the door behind me, shouting to my mom and dad that I'll be a minute. Not like they cared, I had seen their interview on The Hunger Games and, although it had broken my heart, I couldn't care less now.

The sun shines on my face and my eyes squint, I don't go outside very often.

"Look, if you try any funny business, just remember that I have killed 4 people and I'm not afraid to make that 5."

"Oh, but you are." He says and I stare at him, dumbfounded. How was this guy afraid of me? Even though I don't want to admit it, he's right. I don't want to kill anyone else.

"What do you want?" I question, crossing my arms, I wish I had just shut the door on him.

"I know you'll find this hard to believe but my name is Graham and I live in District 13."

"Kay." I shrug, it wasn't that hard to believe. It's not like I had won The fucking Hunger Games or anything but I just say it in my head because this guy has got a gun. Yeah, I'm good with my hands and feet but getting shot wasn't something I had planned to do today.

"You're not shocked? Well, that's beside the fact. Last year, our leader Lyra poisoned you at the coronation. The Gamemaker was thrown in containment and then released blah blah blah." My hand makes contact with his face.

"So, you just come here to tell me you tried to kill me?" My face is burning and I forget that he's taller than me and has a gun. "If I had died I would have gone through that shit for nothing! It would've been all your fucking fault."

Graham stays calm and doesn't reach for his gun.

"Lyra has realized her mistake, she would like to recruit you as a rebel against the Capitol."

A rebel? I like the sound of that but I know my parents won't, they are hardcore Hunger Games and Capitol fans. It's family or destroying the thing I hate most.

"Tell me more."

**A/N: Finally, I finished the last prologue! Lordy, lordy. I'm super excited to get into the reapings/intros and hopefully they will come out faster than this chapter.**

**I really haven't been in the mood this week.**

**Leave a review if you can but it's okay if not!**

**See you at D1!**

**-James**


	5. Tribute List and Blog

**A/N: I was going to do another prologue but, unfortunately, I still haven't revealed the victor of DS, so I might have to add it in a bit later but I promised you a tribute list, today, so here it is. **

**Also, this is the blog: the hardest choice -dot- wix site -dot- come (remove e) -slash- 150th. ****Sorry, I had to do it like that, FFN and links are annoying. Another thing, I wish there was more diversity race wise but I can't exactly change tribute's races. I'll make sure next time to ask for more of whatever race. Also, I'd really appreciate a blog review, we worked quite hard on it. **

**I had to change a few things like ages, face claims, and districts, just so I didn't have a bunch of 10-year-olds and people with the same face claim.**

**Big thanks to 20 and Dragon for helping out with the blog, I really can't thank you enough! **

* * *

District 1 Male: Cameron Lapel, 22

District 1 Female: Agate Sycamore, 28

District 2 Male: Renio Lu-Chen, 14

District 2 Female: Janni Koenig, 15

District 3 Gender-Fluid: Angel/Angus Caman, 15

District 3 Female: Carnalea "Leah" Nostra, 23

District 4 Female: Dylan Poole, 21

District 4 Female: Adaira "Ada" Conch, 10

District 5 Male: Boulevard Caecelli, 20

District 5 Male: Kennon Vale, 24

District 6 Male: Antoine Caster, 40

District 6 Female: Galena Hope Valencia, 20

District 7 Male: Jaime Middleton, 17

District 7 Female: Henrietta "Etta" Thomas, 13

District 8 Male: Aidan Simmons, 19

District 8 Non-Binary: Sequoia "Sequin" Linville, 10

District 9 Female: Mazie Cerestine, 11

District 9 Female: Merril Farrow, 17

District 10 Male: Louis Manstretta, 14

District 10 Female: Corrine Bloom, 26

District 11 Male: Crow Arend, 17

District 11 Female: Amabel Elodie McClave, 14

District 12 Male: Asher "Ash" Helik, 19

District 12 Female: Briallen "Bri" Ilena Pierce, 12

* * *

**A/N: Only 2 tributes didn't get in and that submitter still got tributes, so I'm happy that I didn't have to let anyone down. Thank you for submitting and the next chapter will probably be the D1 reapings, or, the 4th prologue.**

**-James**


	6. District 1

**A/N: Thank you Jade-Warrior for Agate, Carrot Lord for Cameron, and 20 for Alaria.**

* * *

**Agate Sycamore**

**District 1, 28, Female**

* * *

_10 years ago_

* * *

Everything about this was wrong. How could my parents do this to me?

I had met someone I had truly loved and my parents had ruined that for me, just because it was someone of the opposite gender. Finally, I had met someone who accepted me and praised me. A girl that didn't need sex, one that wasn't homophobic.

How had my parents found out? It was probably my twin sister Citrine, she had never been a snitch but she was the only one I had told.

I keep my eyes shut, not wanting to end up crying. Everyone knew, or thought, that I was charming and devious, not a sensitive homosexual. I convince myself to open my chestnut brown eyes and all I can see is my bright red hair that had fallen in front of my face.

I make sure that I'm not going to cry and flip my hair over, the daylight blinds me and I put my arms up, over my eyes. I block the sun that comes from the large window beside me. I remind myself that I am in _Melanie's Café _and at the far 2 person table to the left. I look over to the supposedly empty chair opposite me and see a girl with wavy blonde hair and clear, dark blue eyes.

It is my twin sister Citrine. She smiles a sad smile and leans over the table to try to give me a hug. I shrug her off and she gives me a funny look.

"Why did you tell?" I try to as calmly but it just comes out as a whimper, luckily nobody is nearby. Most people are working, at school, or in the training academy.

Citrine just sighs and shakes her head.

"It just came out." She replies and her body language tells me that she is telling the truth, of course, I was mad but I couldn't stand being upset at my sister.

"What do you think they'll do? Will they tell the rest of the district?" I ask and she looks bewildered at the questions but I had to ask the questions that had surrounded me for the past hour. District 1 was known for being full of homophobia, I wouldn't be able able to handle my reputation being ruined.

I had been the chosen volunteer, after all, and this wouldn't set me back from reaching my goal as Victor. It's all I had ever dreamed of since I was old enough to start training. My parents had always favored me over my sister, I had more skills, and I was more unique. That's what they had always said but I doubt they think that now.

"They actually told me to come and get you so they can talk to you." She says but for some reason, something doesn't sound right. She sounds almost guilty but why should she be? She hadn't done anything, right?

"They still want me in their house?" I ask, not meaning for it to be a joke but when Citrine laughs, I can't help but chuckle a little.

"Come on, let's go." She jumps from her seat and I do the same, taking my jumper off the back of my chair. I don't know why I had brought it, it was boiling outside. I wrap it on my shoulder and go to leave the store, following behind Citrine.

"Bye, my dears." Melanie, the cheery old lady who runs the café, exclaims and waves us off. She shuts the door behind her, she always had a smile on her face, I wish I could be the same. My parents had always taught me to be proper and by doing so not to smile when unnecessary. They had always tried to bring Citrine and I up as perfect girls.

Citrine rushes off and screams,

"I'll race you home!"

Obviously, I take the deal and shake my head as I sprint right past her. I reach the front doorstep of our grand house, panting and Citrine comes about 5 seconds later. I can't help but laugh at Citrine's angry face. For a moment, I feel really happy. That's until my mom bursts through the door, her hair is grey but dyed a platinum blonde color and similar eyes to Citrine.

"Agate Sycamore!" She cries and tears rush down her face. "Come inside." She whispers and heads back through the double doors. I look over at Citrine and she just shrugs.

Here goes nothing.

I follow my mom into the hallway of our house and she ushers me into the dining room. My dad sits on the far end of the table and gives me a face of disgust as I enter. "Please, sit." She says, she never forgets her manners.

I sit 4 chairs away from my dad, Citrine next to me, and my mother faces me. Her face looks red and puffy, she looks really _really_ hurt. It pains me to see her like this and I turn away.

"Agate, you will not be volunteering for the Games." My heart stops as my father lets those words out of his mouth, I just wish it is a joke. Please, let it be a joke but I can tell he's dead serious.

Everything, I had worked for.

_Gone._

Every reason that I had to live.

_Gone._

"At least, Citrine will be volunteering." My mother smiles and I look over at my sister to the left of me. She stares at her feet and doesn't look up at me.

* * *

**Cameron Lapel**

**District 1, 22, Male**

* * *

_6 years ago_

* * *

Red had been sick all day and I couldn't stand being at home. Unfortunately, the only other place I know is the academy and it's not the most welcome of places and definitely wouldn't be letting any stress out of my mind.

I throw spear after spear at the target that faces opposite to me, if I ever came here it's all I would do.

"Cameron, you okay, man?" I hear and spin around to face my best friend Sef, I liked Sef because he had always been similar to me. Both of us were reluctant to go into the Games if we were chosen and we both just generally liked the same things.

"No, Red is getting worse," I whisper and my voice cracks slightly. I was always the quieter one or introverted out of my friends, I liked it that way because nobody asked me too many questions.

"I'm sorry to hear that, is it what Callan had?" My heart drops as he mentions the name of my dead younger brother. He had died only 2 years ago and yet it felt like yesterday.

"The illness Callan has was chronic, this one is more like a really bad cold. He's been coughing a lot, the doctors say it's pneumonia." I tell him, the illness that Callan had he was guaranteed to die but luckily for Red, the specialists from the Capitol will be here tomorrow and he'll be all better in no time.

"Well, I better get home." I sigh. "Bye, Sef."

"I'll say hi to the others for you!" He cries as I walk away, brushing my blonde hair to the side with my fingers. It feels a little greasy, I should probably shower today.

I take the long walk back to my house, my parents weren't too well off and so we couldn't afford a car. Really, only the mayor and peacekeepers had cars, oh how I envy them.

I open the gate to my home and I'm taken aback at 5 peacekeepers, knocking on the door. They are calling my parents' names and it seems to be urgent. I quickly jog up to them and they point their guns at me.

"Hello? I'm Cameron, Cameron Lapel." They put their guns back in their first position.

"Do you have the keys, Cameron?" I assume he's talking about my house keys and I know that voice. It's head peacekeeper Aaron, my friends and I had played a couple of pranks on him in the past. I hand over my keys and he quickly unlocks the door.

What the hell is going on?

I decided to repeat that question out loud as they rush upstairs and into my brother's room. Surprisingly, I don't hear him coughing and so I follow behind them, squeezing into my brother's room. He lay on his bed, eyes wide open, no sound comes from him and I smile as I realize that he had finally gotten to sleep. Mom and Dad would be happy but where are they?

"Dead." A peacekeeper says to the right of me and I look over at him shocked, I then run over to my brother and check his heartbeat. Dead.

"No! No!" I scream and my tears fall into my mouth, I choke on them and fall to the floor. The peacekeepers grab me by my arms and take me downstairs to our dining room. I am placed on the 3 chaired table that my brothers and I had always shared and Aaron sits opposite me.

"I need to ask you a few questions." I don't bother arguing and wipe my tears away with the sleeve of my white hooded-jumper. "When did you last see your parents?"

"Maybe an hour ago, why? Where are they?" I suddenly have so many questions and I can't contain them, my questions needed answers. Aaron looks over at one of his other guards and takes his helmet off to reveal his dark brown hair and brown eyes, he's most likely from District 2.

"2 people were spotted leaving the district, we identified them as Mr. and Mrs. Lapel but we need you to confirm that it is." I nod and he pulls out a photo of 2 middle-aged people climbing through a small hole in the fence. I see that the woman wears a yellow flower in her hair and I know that it's my mom. My mom never went anywhere without her lucky flower.

"It's them," I say. My only remaining family had left me.

* * *

**Agate Sycamore**

**District 1, 28, Female**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

I pull on my brown apron over my white polo shirt and untuck my hair that had gotten stuck in the apron when I had pulled it over. The apron read, in purple writing, _Melanie's Café. _I had got a job here shortly after my parents had banned me from volunteering.

Not because I needed the money. I did it because it was something to do, I had spent my life before that training for the Games every day and every hour I would be at the academy but there was no point now.

I enjoyed it here, anyway. Nobody remembers me as the girl who couldn't volunteer because she was a disgusting homosexual sl*t, now I was just the sister of the Victor.

"One coffee, no milk, please!" Someone calls from outside the kitchen and I get to work. I measure 2 tablespoons of coffee every 6 ounces of water and grind the coffee. I quickly prepare the water, I pour, then I soak and stir. Finally, I brew it, plunge and pour the coffee into one of our signature mugs.

Melanie, before she had died, had shown me everything about this place. I had become a master over time using her tips and skills and when she was gone she had left the café to me. I didn't need it though, I had given it to some random girl that I didn't know the name of and carried on working in the kitchens. I had only ever smiled and laughed with Citrine but Melanie felt like family to me.

I still remember everything about her and miss her vanilla perfume that would always tickle my nose and make me sneeze.

"Where is that coffee?" Someone calls and I slip it through the indoor window for them to collect. These days, I avoided as much social interaction as possible, that way I never had to get hurt the way I had been 10 years ago.

I make coffee and other drinks for the rest of the morning, from about 5 am to 7 am, and the café closes early because of the reaping today. It's a shame I had to go to another reaping because of the stupid quell twist. I know if any of my family members are reaped, I will be picked. I thought I'd just have to hope my mom and dad would be the only ones to worry about but it turns out that Victors can be reaped as well.

I had about an hour to get home and prepare for the reaping. My house is only a couple of minutes away from the café and it's an alright walk, nobody is really around. Most places are closed after all but being the only café in 1 we decided to stay open.

I open the door to my small home, Citrine had tried to get me to let her buy me a bigger one but I refused. I liked it, it was cozy. I walk up to my bedroom where I find the crimson dress that I had laid on my bed for when I got home. I had taken a shower this morning, before work, and so there was no point doing so again.

I look at myself in the mirror, I looked alright. I decide to put on some red lipstick and give my dress a twirl, I like not having to look like the people who had raised me - they don't deserve the title parents.

I check my watch and run a brush through my hair before heading outside into the warm summer of District 1. I had always liked summer, the warmth just put me in a better mood.

I reach the main square and watch all the families, huddled together as they line up. It was different this year, everyone was nervous to get reaped, of course, I could volunteer and make Ignatius and Astoria pay for not letting me volunteer all those years ago but there was no point now. Maybe I'll be happy to get picked, it is what I've always wanted but something tells me that having to kill a 10-year-old won't be all that fun.

My finger is pricked and I head over to the section they guide me to, it's all the women in their 20s. There are pens for the 30s, 40s, 50s and upwards and there are pens for the 10-12s, 13-19s.

It's strange to see a lot more people nervous, normally most are excited but I guess choosing a family member to die isn't all that exciting. Maybe they could win, though.

* * *

**Cameron Lapel**

**District 1, 22, Male**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

I chuckle to myself as our boss trips over the marbles that we had left outside his door. Sef gives me a silent high-five and we go back to making our water features. Work could never be boring with my friends around.

Although, making water features for a living wasn't the job I was entirely going for, it's good enough. I mean, it pays the bills and that's good enough. Alexandria giggles and comes running over to us and gives Sef a fist bump, she then smiles at me. It's fairly obvious that the two like each other but they've never really gone a step further than friends.

Luke and Pablos are busy at work but they give us a thumbs up. Life couldn't get better than this unless I still had my family. Not knowing where my parents are, really breaks my heart, it was 6 bloody years ago and the peacekeepers haven't said a thing about it since the day they told me that they had escaped from the district.

People start to leave and for a second I'm confused, I'm used to working 7 hours a day. It had only been 2 hours.

"Let's go home, it's reaping day, remember?" Sef says and I am put back into reality, I could get picked for The Hunger Games today. I thought I had escaped getting chosen at 18, Sef and I had a whole part because we were so excited we didn't have to go through that shit.

As always, there is something to ruin the happy moments in my life. Something that makes my life miserable, I had a gut feeling that something was going to happen today. I hope none of my friends are picked. Imagine losing your whole family and then one of your friends.

I feel Sef's hand as it closes against mine and he drags me out of our warehouse. "What is up with you today?" He asks, as jolly as ever.

"I just don't want any of you guys to go in," I reply and he shakes his head.

"We won't, I promise." I smile, for some reason that promise made me feel better about my friends not getting chosen. We were going to be fine.

We reach Sef and I's shared home and I unlock the door from him, he walks in and takes his shoes off and I follow.

"Well, let's get ready then," I reply, I wasn't scared of being picked because I have no family, the only way I can go in is if I'm reaped.

"Yeah, see you soon." He says and heads towards his room, I go up to mine and look through my closet full of clothes that I hadn't worn in ages. Most of the time, I just stayed in my work clothes. I pick out a denim jacket and some camo trousers.

I look presentable enough and head outside to wait for Sef to finish, lucky enough he is finished before me and wears a white shirt and some grey track bottoms. We walk outside and head towards the square. It's only a 20-minute walk and we make it in a record time of 16 minutes.

I keep my head down because I know most people will be with their families and that's something that I don't have. It's something I wish I had, I wince as my finger is pricked and shake it off as I duck under and into the males in their 20's pen. Sef joins me a minute later and we wait until our escort is ready to start the reaping.

* * *

**Alaria Grindetti**

**District 1 Escort, 19, Female**

* * *

_Reaping_

* * *

I was filled with rage as I stand in the justice building. I hated this and this job but my parents made me do it, the Capitol will soon pay for what they did to my girlfriend though and I won't need this stupid job anymore.

I try and make the long, light blue dress feel more comfortable but it just keeps scratching my skin.

"Hello! You must be Alaria?" I turn to look at a young woman in her 20s, in a white dress. She looks like any other woman from the Capitol, I don't know who she is and nor do I care.

"Mhm."

"Your family must have paid a lot of money to get you straight into District 1." It was true, my family was one of the wealthiest in Panem. "I'm Citrine Sycamore."

"The murderer?"

"Murderer?"

"Why yes, you killed innocent people, did you not?" I spit on the floor next to her shoe and she looks surprised.

"Is everything okay in here?" A posh voice asks and peeps from outside the make-up room. She won the 141st Games, Contour. I had a slight crush on her as a kid when I used to support the shitty Capitol with my parents.

"I think so," Citrine replies and gives me a strange look.

Suddenly, a Peacekeeper pushes me out of the door of the Justice Building and into the crowd of District 1, there are a few claps but not as many as there usually is.

"Alright, shut up and let me pick," I growl and walk over to the large bowl in the center of the stage. There was no male and female tribute guaranteed. It could be 2 males or 2 females, not that I cared who was picked.

The Victors walk out and I don't pay attention to them. All I do is grab a slip from the bowl and read it aloud.

"Oh, ha Citrine Sycamore." I hear a gasp from the audience as their beloved Victor reaches the microphone.

"I believe this person deserves another chance. My twin sister, Agate Sycamore." You would be able to spot Agate in the whole of District 1, she has unique bright red hair and lipstick, with brown eyes and a crimson dress. She looks confident but keeps a straight face, she shakes hands with Citrine and stands next to me.

"Alright, next." I sigh and stick my hand in another time.

"Cameron Lapel." Cameron is on his younger side of the 20s and is patted on the back by a few of his friends, or so I assume. Cameron stands next to me and doesn't bother to go to the microphone. "Well, are you going to choose someone?" I ask and he looks blankly at me.

A peacekeeper whispers in my ear,

"He has no family, his parents died when trying to escape the district."

"Hah sucks to be you." I laugh. "Okay, here are your tributes." I walk off, back into the justice building, and strip off my itchy dress. These stylists better get me something comfortable for the train ride.

**A/N: I really loved writing this chapter! We have 2 interesting tributes to start us off and I had a lot of fun writing them! Aforementioned, thank you to the submitters in this chapter.**

**How do you like the new introduction format?**

**Who will survive longer, Cameron or Agate?  
**

**Who do you prefer?  
**

**What do you think of Alaria?**

**Leave a review if you can!**

**-James**


	7. District 2

**A/N: Thanks to chthonic python for Janni, 20 for Renio and Sang.**

* * *

**Janni Koenig**

**District 2, 15, Female**

* * *

_2 years ago_

* * *

The cheers and screams of people are all I can hear but all I can see is the girl opposing me, she is small and dark-haired with small hazel eyes. She looks nervous so I give her my devilish nightmare smile, she starts to shake and I laugh to myself. This girl had messed with the wrong person.

"Janni's going to beat her ass!" I hear from beside me and I feel empowered, I love attention.  
"That's right," I reply in my raspy voice. It sends chills down the crowd's spines and some of them back away as I raise my fists at the girl.

It was just me and her. I charge, fists raised high and she blocks the first hit but I keep going, I keep punching. She looks winded and almost unconscious but that isn't enough, oh there was only one thing this girl had left. I wrap my hands around her small neck, tighter, and tighter. Her eyes look like their about to pop out and her face is as red as a tomato.

"Stop!" A high-pitch voice screams and I turn around to see my teacher, Mrs. Lesley, coming right at me. She is stronger than me and releases my hands from the girl's neck. She was almost dead for God's sake! "To my office, please, Janni." She says and without a further response, she grabs my arm and pulls me up. I hate it when people are stronger than me.

I wonder how Mrs. Lesley saw. As soon as I think it, I know my answer as I see a light brown haired girl with brown eyes, smirking at me. I hated my cousin, Talma was a proper brat.

I'm pushed into a cozy office chair and I glare at the lady who sits down opposite me, Mrs. Lesley had always been a kind teacher and therefore had never gotten in trouble with me. Not like Mr. Kaux last month.

"Do you really want to mess with me?" I snap and she smiles back.  
"Oh, Janni. You're here because I'd like to give you an offer."  
"An offer?" I was interested, I knew Mrs. Lesley respected me. I grab a pen from her desk and start to fiddle with it, it's one of my habits I guess.  
"The academy wanted me to keep an eye out for someone who deserves a scholarship." Now, I was intrigued. I had always wanted to go to the academy but the group home wouldn't pay for it.  
"I'm listening," I reply.

After school, I walk back to the group home. I hate it here but my aunt and uncle wouldn't take me in because they couldn't afford me, what cheapskate bitches. Ever since my parents had died I had lived here. I slam the door open and ignore everyone as I walk straight up the stairs and climb the ladder into my room, fortunately, I didn't have to share a room.

There were around 11 kids in this house, all taken care of by 2 adults who couldn't care less about our lives. I grab a comb from my bedside table and push it through my tangled, brown hair. I look in the silver-lined mirror that my aunt had given me for my birthday last year, I had hated it at first because it was cheap and worthless but I couldn't give one about presents anymore.

I had never really cared about my appearance, it's not like anyone was going to make fun of me unless they wanted to be close to death like that girl today. Soon, the school would probably be called by the girl's parents and my aunt and uncle will be here in a matter of seconds to scold me. Well, my uncle will, my aunt will probably just give me a sad smile and pitiful eyes.

"Janni, dinner!" A voice squeaks from under the trapdoor of my room (the attic), I try to catch who interrupted me but all I hear is the stomps of footsteps as the rest of the kids storm down the stairs. Usually, most were excited to eat because we only got 2 meals per day, lunch at school and dinner at home, but the food was cold and most of the time some of the kids were forced to take tesserae to feed us.

I smile coldly, nobody here was brave enough to tell me I needed to take tesserae. Even Talma was scared of me after I broke her arm a couple of months ago, she was lucky it was just her arm. That's what really got my uncle hating me, he loved to spoil his daughter and had no time to waste money on his monstrous niece. I'm fairly sure my aunt wanted me to stay, though. Not that I can remember, they sent me to this community home when I was 2.

I take a seat on the bench and the 2 other kids, 1 boy, and 1 girl scoot over to the side to give me enough space. More tesserae today and judging by the unhappy face of one of the 12-year-olds, she had been the one to take it out.

* * *

**Renio Lu-Chen**

**District 2, 14, Demiboy**

* * *

_1 year ago_

* * *

The loud music bangs against my drums as I flail my arms. The floor underneath me vibrates and changes colors as everybody around me dances to the music, I laugh and move my head to the beat of the rhythm. Life couldn't be better.

"Hey, Renio!" A voice screams from behind the crowds of people and I push through to try and get to the person who had called my name. I wipe some sweat off my forehead when I see Ulises beaming at me. He still had a fairly high voice because the hormones still hadn't fully developed and he was still transitioning from a female. I liked having a brother, it was also very nice to have someone to talk to whenever I'm feeling down about any issues. My gender wasn't something I really had issues with but I still liked to talk to him about it.

"Happy birthday, bro." He laughs and tries to give me a hug, I don't want to be seen getting hugged so I give him a fist bump instead. I was still overwhelmed that my dads, brother, and friends had thrown this whole surprise party for me. My dad being the mayor, had invited most of the district and I kept having to pull out my pocket mirror to make sure I looked my best. I looked my best most of the time but I still needed to reassure myself.

Suddenly, the booming music in my ears stopped and I look up to the stage to see my dads smiling down at me. Ulises begins to push drag me up to the stage and I shake my head as the crowd roars to my arrival on stage. Everybody loved me.

"We are here today, to celebrate the birth of my grown-up kiddo, Renio!" My dad cries and my other dad put his hands on my shoulders. The crowd screams and shouts and, being the jokester I am, I take a bow and then lift my hand up high, making a grunting noise. The crowd likes this, I mean, of course, they did.

"Why am I here?" I laugh at my dad and he pulls out a rectangular box and hands it over to me. I tear it open to reveal a sharp-edged boomerang. No biggy, right? Wrong because this boomerang was signed by no other than my favorite Victor Powder Caylan. I loved how she had played in The Hunger Games and was such a huge inspiration to me. "Guys, h-how?" I cry astonished and then forget about the question as I hold the boomerang up high.

"Signed by _the _Powder Caylan!" I scream and everybody claps, I know everyone will want to hold it and so I give it back to my brother to take care of as I jump off the stage and into the hands of the crowd, I had always wanted to crowd surf.

I'm taken all the way to the back of the stage where I'm finally placed down, I'm opposite my one and only love, Diva. They take hold of my hands and give me puppy dog eyes. What were they doing? I avoid another question my mind is asking me and take their head into my hands, pressing their lips up against mine. This was my first kiss and it was with who I wanted to share the rest of my life with. They pull away and I look at them, surprised.

"I love you Renio...but I don't think this is going to work out." They say and I freeze, I was getting broken up with.

"Why?" I blurt out and back away from them, trying not to let my emotions get the best of me.

"Look at you. You love partying and running around, I prefer to stay home and chill. You never do what I want to do and I liked it a lot more when we were just friends." They truly look sorry.

"I get it," I say but I don't get it. Why would anybody want to break up with me? "I'll see you around." I sigh and walk off, back into the crowds of people. I was not going to let a breakup ruin this night.

"Yo! You okay?" A dirty blonde guy with hazel eyes asks and I recognize him as one of my best friends, besides Diva, Iridium.

"Yeah, I had no idea Diva felt that way."

"Don't be so down about it! Let's enjoy this night." I laugh and playfully punch him in the face. We play fight a little and then get back to dancing before I head to the bathroom to wash the sweat from my face and put on the bottle of deodorant that I had hidden in my shirt. It was my birthday, I had to make sure people wanted to be around me without having to smell my shitty body odor.

The stuff stings my armpits but the stink is gone. I check my watch

_00:13_

the party ended in 17 minutes and there were still some people dying to congratulate me on a happy birthday so I dash back out into the large room of my house most people are looking a little bored and are packing away so I run to the DJ and request a song. I wait on the stage until the song comes on and I start jamming out.

"Come join me!" I shout and a few people come and start to dance but most leave anyway, waving at me as they do. I watch Diva smile at me and then duck into the darkness of the night. I sigh and walk away, there was no way I would be able to get this party going again.

I say my last goodbyes as I bounce around the room.

"How was that, son?" My father asks and I shrug.

"It was alright, thanks, dad." In truth, I couldn't believe my 13th birthday was over. Hopefully, next year I'll have somebody new but something tells me that I won't be able to get over Diva for a while.

* * *

**Janni Koenig**

**District 2, 15, Female**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

I sit on a stool, eating away at my toast. Reaping day was probably the only day that we got something that wasn't tesserae, I turn around as I hear some squeals from behind me and see some younger kids play fighting at the table. I groan and stand up, heading towards them.

"Can I play?" I ask sarcastically and give them an outstretched smile that would have scared the life out of anybody. The 2, maybe 10-year-olds, run upstairs and leave their plates with still pieces of toast on them. I take the 2 plates and spill them onto my plate at the far corner of the kitchen. The people who worked here didn't trust me to sit at the dining room table with the rest of the kids.

I finish my toast and leave my plate out, walking towards the door. Most kids here would be staying in the group home until the reaping but I had been given a scholarship at the training academy and had been training to volunteer for the games at 18 ever since. I pull on my yellow jacket that hangs by the door and slam the door shut as I rush out into the summer of District 2. It was fairly hot in the summer but I preferred wearing a coat anyway.

The training academy is a good half-hour walk from my house and I haven't many friends so I walk it alone. I don't make friends, there is no reason I just don't.

The walk is the same as always, except a little quieter than usual because it's reaping day, and I end up at the academy on time for a final session before the reaping. I open the glass doors and sign in at the reception, it takes around 4 minutes until I enter the large room full of aspiring careers. The poor girls my age are wasting their time here.

"Janni!" A voice cries and I look over to see the trainer of the maces, my probably only friend, Henna Laurence. Henna hands me an apple and I whisper,

"thanks." Henna always sneaks me some fruit, she always says that her Victor needs to be fit and healthy and therefore needs fruit to stay that way. Henna teaches maces but sometimes joins me at the spear station.

"Want to do some spears?" She asks and I nod, running over to the station. Henna asks the guy to do the maces for her and he agrees to do so. I pick up a javelin, as long as me, and aim it at the target. Henna helps position my hands a little more effectively and I aim and shoot. Boom, bullseye. Henna applauses me and, as always, a warm feeling goes through me as a couple of other trainers nod, looking impressed.

I train for another hour until the training academy closes and I need to start getting on my way to the reaping. I can't be bothered to change out of my plan, and grey, training uniform because I liked don't have anything better to wear at the community home.

I walk with Henna and she talks about how she never wanted to volunteer she just wanted to train I nod along but I'm not really listening, after all, she has told me this story thousands of times. Henna and I finally part ways as we get our fingers pricked and she gives me a hi-five before heading towards the pen for women in their 30s. I duck under the rope and stand huddled up with the rest of the females aged 13-19. Some of the younger kids are finding it hard to see and one bumps into me.

"Watch where you are going, bitch." I snarl and she looks as if she's about to cry as she dives back into the crowds of people.

* * *

**Renio Lu-Chen**

**District 2, 14, Demiboy**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

I groan as I wake up in bed, I had been at another party last night and may have had a couple of sips of beer but I didn't care then. I cared now, though. I was thirsty and tired and just in an overall bad mood.

"Renio! It's reaping day, time to wake up!" Somebody calls from downstairs but I don't know who it is, probably my brother. In a few minutes of laying in bed Ulises storms into my room. "Wake up, you need to get ready." He says.

"It's not like I'm going to get picked," I reply and turn over to face my back to him.

"Well, if I get reaped I'm going to be picking you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

Ulises drags me out of bed and I get changed into a blue shirt and some blue jeans. Then, I walk downstairs to get immediately hugged by my dad. My dad's sister, my aunt, was here and I said "hi" to her before going into the kitchen for breakfast. I chuckle as I open the new bottle of maple syrup. The syrup goes everywhere, not just on my pancakes, and I sigh. I was going to have to get a new shirt on.

I chug some orange juice and gobble down my pancakes. I didn't have to do anything else today so I was pretty much stuck in the house until the reapings. Like most kids, I do go to the academy but it's mostly because my parents don't want me to get reaped and die straight away.

Luckily, there was a volunteer almost every year so I had nothing to be afraid of but this year may be a bit different, though I doubt anyone in my family would actually be reaped and have to pick me.

I decide to go outside and get some fresh air, I run outside and a warm chill goes down my body in the heat of district 2. Summer meant I could be outside more and go to more outside parties - my favorite kind. I run and roll around in the grass, not feeling so groggy anymore. I felt like today was going to be a good day and I pull out a small notebook that was kept in my pocket. Nope, no party today.

I go inside as my dad calls for me and we take the car to the reapings. It takes about 2 minutes since only really the mayor and peacekeepers have cars meaning it's a mainly free road.

My dads and brother were all pricked and then it was my turn. I watch my dad go to the stage and my other dad goes to his pen. I wince as the Peacekeeper pricks me and I go to stand with the rest of the 13-19-year-old boys. The pen is packed but I manage to find Iridium, supposedly Diva had gone to the girls' pen because we couldn't find them anywhere.

* * *

**Sang Doukas**

**District 2 Escort, 18, Male**

* * *

This was my chance, I was going to restore the honor to my family ever since my adoptive parents were fired as Gamemakers, we had been the laughing stock of the whole Capitol. I enter through the back of the Justice Building and I am treated to some nice massages and they recolor my hair to a transparent color but it just reminds me of my adoptive dad and I don't need to be thinking of him right now so I ask them to change it.

Being an escort definitely was not my first choice, way too many people but I was going to have to get my family's honor back some way and I guess this was the only way.

I open the door of the make-up room and head into the justice building. When I hear somebody talk from behind me I almost squeal with nervousness and have to stop myself from hiding behind one of the velvet red couches.

"So. Sang, the escort?"

"Indeed." I laugh nervously as I turn around to face no other than Vidia Ciele.

"Awww, your cute!" She smiles and outstretches her hand. I hated being called cute but I would never go to the extent to say so. I shake my head and she puts her hand back to her side, I jump up as Powder walks in.

"Ugh, lucky Mahria gets to stay home while I do this. At least I have you, hun!" She says and nudges Vidia, she then comes and hugs me. In doing so, she picks me up and spins me around. I just stay still, I don't want to make a fool out of myself but I don't want to get hugged, either. I end up getting dropped back onto the floor and have to fix my hair _again._

"You are going on in 5." I nod my head and I hear the mayor do a little speech and such, I'm not too interested, all I can think about is when I go on that stage to the loud crowds of Hunger Games supporters. I take a deep breath as the mayor announces me and head on in through the doors of the justice building. I squint and let my eyes get used to the sun before I go over to the microphone to speak over the roaring crowds.

"Hi," I say through the microphone and my voice squeaks, making a deafening sound. I look over at the Victors beside me and Vidia gives me a nod, a kind gesture but not a very helpful one.

"Um, let's do it." I try to add some enthusiasm to the last part but I fail and sigh, deciding to just take a slip from the large bowl in front of me. "Ulises Lu-Chen," I say through the microphone while reading the slip and a gasp falls over the crowds in front of me. The name sounded familiar but I don't think anything of it until I hear a small whimper from the mayor, not good.

Ulises is a young boy, maybe 14-16, with light brown hair and brown eyes. He looks nothing like the mayor and so I assume he was probably adopted.

"I pick...my brother, Renio." Renio is a small, energetic kid with dark brown hair and of Asian descent. He bounces up to the stage, looking slightly worried but a little excited. I know I was going to get nervous around him. He stands next to me and I edge a little further to the left so he's not as close and then dip my hand pack into the glass bowl.

"Talma Koenig." I read and then realize I hadn't said it into the microphone. "Um, uh Talma Koenig?" Another light brunette, she also has brown eyes, walks up to the stage and has a small smirk on her face.

"I'd like to pick my_ incredible _cousin, Janni Koenig." The girl walks back to her pen and is replaced by a girl with dark brown hair and, yes, more brown eyes. I mean what did I expect, everyone in 2 had brown eyes. The girl has a malicious smile that sends chills down my back and I shrink as she recklessly walks beside me.

"T-tributes shake hands," I whisper and they both shake hands, Janni giving Renio a firm grip and Renio shaking his hand around to try and get rid of the sudden pain he had just gotten.

"I think she broke my hand." He laughs and I just look at him strangely before heading back into the justice building.

Finally, step 1 was complete.

**A/N: Hey! Another reaping done with. I hope you enjoyed both of these characters because I enjoyed writing them and as always I'm sorry if I didn't write them the way you had expected or wanted because I always try my best to do so.**

**How do you like the new introduction format?**

**Who will survive longer, Janni or Renio?  
**

**Who do you prefer?  
**

**What do you think of Sang?**

**Leave a review if you can!**

**-James**


	8. District 3

**A/N: Thanks 20 for Carnalea and Savera and thanks Carrot Lord for Angus/Angel**

**TRIGGER WARNING: Some misgendering in Angus/Angel's pov. I don't feel this way at all it's just the opinions of the people I'm writing.**

* * *

**Carnalea "Leah" Nostra**

**District 3, 23, Female**

* * *

_5 years ago_

* * *

There had been another report today. It was on the rounded square thing that is always gaining the attention of the rest of my family. I had sat down to watch it and realized they were talking about our district.

I love my district. Everybody is kind and good, as they are everywhere, and I feel safe because nobody is evil but what the lady had said in the news report makes me very confused. I hadn't really been paying attention and I was too busy trying to get the dust out of the square fluffy floor. When the man inside the box started talking about a murder, then a picture of somebody dead and bloody was there.

I started to cry and asked,

"Murder?" My mom just scowled at me but my dad gave me the large eyes he always gave me when I was sad. Then, I ended up in this room with my father who was trying to explain this new word to me. I enjoy my father's lessons but he's not very good at explaining a lot of things.

"And so, when one person gets mad at another they might murder them." I just look down at my feet that are curled up in the cozy chair by the fireplace, nobody would kill anybody else. "Get it?" He questions and I stare into his eyes, he knows I don't get it. He sighs and I am sad that I disappointed him.

Suddenly, he starts to cough and I begin to cry, again.

"Stop! Dada, please!" My mom rushes in and glares at me before picking up my father and running him upstairs, I see some of the stuff he was coughing up and it was red like the picture of the bleeding man.

_Murder?_ I think to myself as I run up the creaking stairs to my mom and dad's bedroom. My sister, Smarta, is standing there with her eyes wide open and her mouth, hanging. She tries to stop me from going in but I push my way through, tears flood my vision but I manage to see my father lying on his bed.

"Mommy!" I scream at her as she stands and watches him. Dad is dead... I scream and run out of the house, nobody saved him, everybody must have tried though. Nobody would just let someone die, would they? I run down the streets, I don't know what to do or say and I stop in an alleyway where I start to cry, I cry and I cry. Until somebody grabs me by the shoulder, pulling me up onto my feet and into a hug.

The girl's wavy brown hair gets in my mouth and I have to spit it out. Smarta was a very good sister, she loves me so very much.

"Mom's mad at you." She whispers into my ear.

"Mad?" I ask daddy hadn't taught me that word yet.

"Unhappy, not happy." Unhappy? I remember dad saying something about that but it was a long time ago.

"Why?" Why would mom be unhappy at _me_? Mom was only unhappy when I didn't make my bed or I had a fight with Smarta, not when dad died. We were all unhappy but not at each other. All these thoughts swirl in my head and the tears start coming again.

"Let's go home," Smarta says and I nod. I know what home meant, safe. Home was a place where everybody was happy, that's what daddy said.

I hadn't run that far and so it didn't take very long to get home. My home is small and cozy, I like it. I open the wooden door and rush in, straight to my crying mom.

"Mama!" I cry and pull her into a hug but she grabs me by the neck and slams me to the floor.

"Good job getting her, Smarta." Smarta smiles a shy and guilty smile, not bothering to stop my mom who was now on top of me and growing in my face. What was she doing?

"Stop," I whine as she slaps me across the face and the tears just keep coming and coming until I can't cry any longer. I just lay there and take in the pain, she was just doing this because she was sad. She needed my help. Nobody would hurt somebody on purpose, she was sad and she needed this. As long as I keep breathing I'm going to be okay.

Finally, my mother leaves and Smarta helps me up. I am ready for another hug but she runs off towards my mother, I know that I shouldn't follow and so I lay on the dusty floor of my living room. Waiting. I don't know what for, just for something to happen.

* * *

**Angel/Angus Camam**

**District 3, 15, Gender Fluid**

* * *

_1 year ago_

* * *

I bite my nails as the teacher explains our maths homework. It's something to do with fractions or whatever but I'm not really paying attention, all I see is the malicious smile of Harold Collig, staring right at me. It was pretty much a daily routine by now, Harold hated me and I hated him.

I put my hand through the hair extensions I had put on today, I like being able to look like what I specify as at a certain time and today I was edging moreover to the hair extensions Jamin had bought me for my birthday. I usually wore more 'masculine', as they say, clothing because t felt a lot more comfortable and I had never been really into things like skirts or dresses.

Today I decided to wear some grey trousers, a white top, and a yellow sweater.

"Angel?" The teacher snaps and I look up to lock eye contact with her.

"Yes, miss?" I squeak, I don't really like speaking in public.

"If a=7 and b=4, then what is 6a + 9b." I give myself a little time to think. 6x7 = 42, 9x4 = 36. 42+36 = 78.

"78," I say.

"Pardon?"

"78."

"Ah, yes. Correct, good job Angel." I smile and go back to biting my nails, a habit I don't remember ever having.

Finally, the end of the day arrives and I stay in my seat as I let everybody else head out. I know that if I wait long enough, Harold will eventually get bored and go home instead of waiting for me outside. Unfortunately, Harold doesn't have a life and will be standing out there for hours until I come out.

"Please, Angel, go home." My teacher laughs and I sigh, she probably thinks I'm just here because I want to do more work. Hopefully, Sammy will still be waiting for me outside.

"Bye," I say, bluntly, and leave the classroom - slinging my bag over my shoulder. I head down the dark hallway and to the door that leads outside, the same door Harold waits outside of everyday.

I push open the yellow door and take in a deep breath before turning the corner and banging right into Harold.

"Oh, _sorry_, ginger. I didn't see you there." I muse and try to push past another time, it's no use. This kid is the size of a giant, an ugly one at that.

"Come on, pipsqueak. Let's have some fun." He laughs.

"Let me by, Harold," I growl and punch at his stomach but he grabs my fist before it makes contact.

_Rookie mistake._

I think as I kick him in his dick and he lets go of my fist, using the same hand to give me a black eye.

"Yo, back off." Somebody says and I let out a sigh of relief as I see Sammy turn the corner and run towards me. "Don't you know it's rude to hit a girl, acne face?" Harold snarls at the remark and gives up on the fight, even he knew he wouldn't win 2 against 1. He runs off and Sammy walks up beside me.

"Where the hell were you?" I laugh as I carry on walking and he does the same in sync with me.

"Sorry, Mr. Grennich held me back."

"What did you do this time?" I mock and he chuckles as we carry on bumping into each other.

"Why does that Harold kid give you a hard time anyway?" He asks and I just shrug, most people in 3 weren't very fond of any people from the LGBTQ+ community and Harold's family was one of them. I had issues with it as any normal person would but I acted like I didn't care. That was how you made them back off.

Sammy and I walk side by side back to our neighborhood, it was by the center of town and was mostly for wealthier people such as myself, or my family. I just hope Jamin will be home from working wherever he worked, he had never told me but I didn't really mind as long as he was happy.

"Bye Sammy and thanks again," I say as I head to the door of my house.

"No problem Angel, see you tomorrow." I smile as he heads in through his door (opposite me) and I do the same, crossing my fingers.

"Jamin?" Somebody calls out, it was more high pitched so I guess it is my mom.

"No, Angel, mom."

"Ugh, for the last time bitch your name is Angus."

"B-but not today." I cry and she storms into the hallway where I had just taken off my polished black shoes.

"Excuse me, young man!" My dad cries from downstairs and I dash up to my room as my mom swipes at me.

"I'm not a man!" I sob and slam the door shut behind me. Please, Jamin come home soon.

"You come out right now!" My mom screams and I cover my ears, screaming and pulling at my hair.

_I hate my parents._

_I hate myself._

_I hate my life._

I stare into my misty blue eyes in the mirror of my wardrobe and slowly take out my hair extensions, trying to keep them untangled.

Who am I?

* * *

**Carnalea "Leah" Nostra**

**District 3, 23, Female**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

I walk the 5 miles, an hour and a half, to the school and the gates seem to be closed. I look at the sign

_Maythorn School for Children with Special Needs. CLOSED FOR REAPING DAY._

I had learned how to read that sign a couple of months ago but I was still figuring out how to read other things and writing...writing is so hard. I did like this school and I had made a few friends but none of this would ever compare to daddy's teaching. Good thing mommy sent me to this school because it was really helpful but I doubt she did it for my own good, she was always saying how embarrassed she was at me and now I am going to have to walk back home.

I sit down on the floor and lean against the gate of the school. All I could think about these days was dad, none of this would be happening if he was still here. Not that mommy was doing a bad job because as she always said, she paid for me and she fed me. Mommy was a good Mom even if she could be a little hurtful sometimes.

Then, I remember what it said on the sign. Reaping Day. What was that again? Oh no, it was that thing Mom watches on TV with Smarta, with the children killing each other. I remember going when I was younger but I shouldn't have to go anymore. Right? I take off the burgundy blazer that I am forced to wear because it's the school's dress code and I sigh as the sun beats on my face.

"Hey!" Somebody cries and I scream as 2 armored men come running towards me, guns in hand.

"Why aren't you at home, young lady? The reaping starts in less than half an hour." Why were they telling me this? I didn't have to go.

"Don't hurt." I whimper and they both take one of my arms, hauling me up from the ground.

"It's a quell twist, everyone must attend today." Oh darn, this is not good.

"Home, far away," I say and they look a little confused.

"Alright, it looks like we'll have to drive you there but you're in trouble, miss. After the reaping, we'll have to have a little chat."

Drive? What is drive? The two men drag me along to a strange, and large, object. They open a door inside the thing and push me onto one of the cozy chairs, both of them get into the front and a loud noise startles me as they press a button.

"What happens if picked you?"

"You have to choose a family member, and if a family member picks you then you're in deep shit." Deep shit? What does he mean by deep shit? The school had never taught me that word but I can tell it's not good and I sink lower in the seat as we begin moving. It's very bumpy and I feel slightly sick by the time we come to a stop. I open the door and rush out into the town center.

I carry along to where Peacekeepers seem to be pricking people, I don't remember this.

"Oh, Leah!" Somebody cries and I look around for the voice that had called my name, the voice belongs to my aunt Edna.

"Hello, Auntie." I smile as I give her a quick hug, I hadn't seen her at home this morning because I wanted to get to school on time, the home had been feeling a lot safer since Enda moved in, though. "What's going on?" I ask and Edna guides me to one of the lines.

"It's just a small event, it'll be over in a jiffy." She laughs and, as always, her laugh makes me feel extremely happy. Edna and I stand in the line for a while until the Peacekeeper grabs one of my fingers and pricks it. I have to bite my lip to stop from screaming.

I wait for Edna to get her's done and then she tells me to stand in a fenced-off square, filled with loads of people. I squeeze in at the very side and I get a rope burn from being pushed against the rope.

* * *

**Angel/Angus Camam**

**District 3, 15, Gender Fluid**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

My job interview starts at 5 am, the reaping starts at 7 am. I should be able to make to both, it's strange that this shop was still holding interviews on reaping day. I wait in my bedroom until I hear a quiet, but loud enough for me to hear, knock on the door. I sneak down the steps, careful not to awaken my sleeping parents.

I open the door of our grand house to a short girl with jet black hair and brown eyes she was of Asian Descent like most people in 3.

"Hey, Laney," I whisper to her as I step out of the house and slowly close the door behind me.

"Hiya." She smiles and we step down the 3 steps that lead to my house. Today we were doing our 11th job interview this year and unfortunately, I never got any jobs. Laney did, though but she refused to take the jobs as they usually denied me because I was gender fluid. It definitely did make me mad but most people in 3 were like that.

We walked the 10 minutes to the TV store - about a 5-minute walk from the district center and the reaping. Laney opens the door to the store and a small bell rings, notifying the workers we were here.

"Hello, Mrs. Mane!" Laney cries as a middle-aged woman walks out of a small room in the back of the store. "This is Angus, the other one I was talking about." Mrs. Mane acknowledges me with a nod and I tuck in the indigo shirt that is clearly too big for me into my gray trousers. Hopefully, I looked smart enough for the interview.

"Please, come this way." She says with no emotion and walks back to the small room, Laney follows her and I follow behind her. We enter the small room where a table with one chair to one side and two to the other sits in the center. She nods to our seats and we sit down, she sits down opposite us. "You feel comfortable doing it together?" She asks.

"Yes." Laney and I agree in sync, we had been doing interviews together since we met at our first job interview.

We answer a couple of questions, simple ones like our qualifications and things, it seems to be going quite well.

"Ages?"

"15," I say.

"14," Laney replies.

"Genders?"

"Female." I pause for a little, hoping this won't affect anything but I needed to tell the truth.

"Um, I'm gender fluid." I squeak.

"Hm?" She questions, her deep brown eyes look as if they're sinking into me.

"I'm gender fluid," I say, speaking up.

"Ah, okay." I sigh, I don't know whether that was a good "ah, okay" or a bad one.

We answer 3 more questions and then she stands up from her seat, notepad in hand. "I'll see you both tomorrow for a trial day where I'll asses you further." She says and I almost squeal. I might actually be able to get a job! "For now, we need to go to the reapings."

Oh, the reapings. All I need to do now is survive the reapings. It should be easy, right?

Laney and I push our seats under the table and as soon as we get outside we give each other a hi-five.

"Come on, we don't wanna be late," I shout as I run off towards the reapings and I turn a corner, revealing the lines of people waiting to get pricked. "I think I'm going to go to the male line," I say as we reach the lines.

"Alright, good luck!" She giggles as she runs over to the line next to mine.

I wait a couple of minutes and then I'm pricked by a Peacekeeper, finally, I duck under the rope into the pens of 13s-19s and get sucked into the crowds of teenagers, nervous and angsty.

* * *

**Savera Carter**

**District 3 Escort, 20, Female**

* * *

I can't believe I'm about to step into the justice building. It had been a dream of mine to be a mentor when I was younger and help those kids get home to their families and go back to a good life because of my help.

I sigh, I couldn't become a mentor but I sure could be an escort and the best darn escort in The Hunger Games for that matter. My family says I'm going to do great because I'm so caring and intelligent. I applied for District 3 because they don't seem to get too many high scoring tributes but they still have a decent mentoring team.

After all, Farrel had only won 2 years ago and that kind of experience not too long ago could be very helpful. I knock on the back door of the Justice Building and 2 Peacekeepers, armed with guns, check my identity and let me in. That's when I see the 2 Victors, Cable, and Farrel. Cable stands there awkwardly and waves at me.

I give them a nervous smile and then decide I should just go over there and shake their hands.

"Hi, there!" Farrel cries, staring right at me.

"Hello, Savera Carter, the new escort," I say and shake their hands.

"Ooh, very smooth hands!" Farrel laughs and I raise an eyebrow, maybe this is what they said in District 3 and I didn't want to be rude.

"You too...?" I question and he chuckles.

"We're looking forward to working with you, Savera." Cable says.

"Going on in 1 minute." A guy with a microphone says and I stare out the windows to see the crowds of people and the mayor talking to them, it seems they had just finished the video.

"Our escort...Savera Carter!" She cries and the door opens as I rush out, pushing a few wrinkles out of my jeans.

"Hi, hi, thank you," I say, out of breath I don't know why maybe because I'm nervous.

"And our mentors...Cable and Farrel!" Cable and Farrel walk out like pros, making me look unprofessional. The mayor walks to the side and I take the microphone from her.

"Okay, let's get started right away."

I reach over to the large bowl and pick out a handful of names, I shake a few out until one slip remains. I'm about to read it when I hear a shout.

"I volunteer!" The girl screams and runs up, her curly brown hair flying around in the wind. I give her a microphone. "Hi, I'm Smarta Nostra and I pick my sister, Carnalea Nostra." I'm surprised, who would do this to their family?

It's not long before I hear screaming and Peacekeepers running toward a blonde girl who punches a few of them but is grabbed and carried onto the stage, she is in tears and looks like she's about to slap me. Smarta walks back down the steps, looking a little sad, and Carnalea stands beside me, crossing her arms.

"Okay...next." I throw the other slip back in and pick a new one.

"Coby Camam." I say through the microphone and a man in the 40s section walks out and up to the stage, I hand him a microphone.

"Um, my son. Angus Camam." A boy with his mouth wide open travels up to the stage and as he passes his father I hear him growl,

"At least you got my gender identity right." I'm guessing he's gender fluid. The boy grabs the microphone off me.

"Just to let y'all know, I'm GENDER FLUID and everybody who passed me up for a job because of it will wish they didn't once I become a Victor." The boy is so close to tears and shoves the microphone into my chest.

"Our tributes!" The 2 shake hands and look like they kind of connect for a moment. "Let's go," I say and we walk back into the Justice Building. These 2 were going to be tough but just like the burglar who tried to rob my family home, I'm going to convince them that they can and will win.

I just cannot wait to get started.

**A/N: And another one is done with! Just to be clear, Leah has an intellectual disability and I'm sorry if I offended anybody by writing her wrong in any way because that was not my intention. Sorry, this took so long.**

**I hope everybody's staying safe from COVID-19!**

**Who will survive longer, Carnalea or Angel/Angus?  
**

**Who do you prefer?  
**

**What do you think of Savera?**

**Leave a review if you can!**

**-James**


	9. District 4

**A/N: Thanks to DragonoftheStars1429 for Adaira, Team Shadow for Dylan, and 20 for Whent.**

* * *

**Adaira 'Ada' Conch**

**District 4, 10, Female**

* * *

_4 months ago_

* * *

It's break time at school and I sit against a wall, twisting my knotted brown hair. I had never really been allowed too much time in the bathroom because of my uncle's demands but it's okay. Who is there to please with my appearance anyway? I am just an emotional little 10-year-old, nothing more, nothing less. Not that I don't like that about me because, in truth, I do like myself.

There were just a few people who didn't and right now, they stood chatting in a group. Probably just 10-year-old gossip but it sometimes bothers me to not know whether they're talking about me or something completely different. My spoiled brat of a cousin also stands in that group of gossips, I remember the day where I was excited to move in with my cousin and her parents because I'd always wanted a sister but if sisters were like this, now I wish upon nobody to have that kind of curse.

Suddenly, my eyes lock upon the menacing beast that was my cousin, she snarls at me and I immediately look away. I should run, I should hide, I should-

"Well, well, well who do we have here?" Derya mocks and I stand up, turning my face to the wall and my back to her, trying to keep myself from looking at her and the rest of the group. The girls giggle along with Derya and encourage her to keep going.

"It's the strange girl whose parents died because they didn't want to be around her anymore." She says with sarcastic empathy.

"That's not why they died." I squeak and try to sidestep out of the semi-circle of girls. I'm pushed back into the middle and Derya spins me around, I smell her minty breath and she smells mine that currently smelt like I'd just eaten poo.

"Ewww, your a little stinker, aren't ya?" She laughs and all the girls echo her, they are sheep and Derya is the shepherd. I don't know why they like her, I doubt they even do, probably just scared of her evil tricks. I see why they would be and so I don't give them any hatred if I was in their position I probably wouldn't do the same but I'm not them...

Derya pushes me against the brick wall behind me and I hear a crack in my back, I cringe and for some reason, I don't feel like crying but still, the tears fall down, as they always do. Derya is usually more one to use verbal and mental but I guess she was feeling something different today...I never see it coming, my emotions just take control. The bell for the end of recess goes and I slump against the brick wall as they all leave, some of them even spitting on me.

I guess it is just a normal day, sometimes it's less extreme and sometimes it's more but either way, it's just a day in the life of Adaira Conch.

After most people have left for their next class, I head-on into the hallways of my school. All the way to Mrs. Kaux's science class. I sit in our seating plan, next to a girl called Sillya, and apologize to our teacher for being slightly late.

"Hi," Sillya whispers and I acknowledge her with a nod. Sillya and I used to be very good friends but we both came to the agreement that it's best we aren't seen hanging out for her own safety against the bullies, I want nobody to feel the pain I sometimes feel and most of all I don't want it going to the only person that has ever been kind to me.

"You okay?" She murmurs, Sillya did this every time we had Science. She still cares about me and wants to know exactly what happens but I never really feel like talking.

"Yeah, just the usual." I shrug and she twists her mouth in sorrow, she always feels guilty.

"Ada Conch! You're talking in my lesson and you were late? That's detention for you." Miss. Kaux snaps and I sigh. My uncle and aunt weren't going to be very happy that I got detention.

"Sorry," Sillya says and I don't reply, it's best not to get us both in trouble.

Another bell rings for the end of school and I have to go to the front to collect a detention slip from Miss. Kaux that my aunt or uncle would have to sign, maybe I could try to fraud it but I don't want to get in any more trouble. It's bad, not being the first out of class as I usually am. It means I can usually run home and lock myself in the laundry room for the rest of the day, without making any encounters.

Unfortunately, I know exactly who is waiting for me outside of the gates and I am in no rush to run into them and so I sit down outside the science classroom and wait for what feels like hours but is actually only 30 minutes. I decide I'm probably not worth waiting for more than a half-hour for and I get up just as Miss. Kaux opens the door of the classroom.

"Ada? You're still here?"

"Just forgot something, miss, sorry, miss." I quickly reply and open the door of the school, how is a teacher supposed to help me anyway? After all, they're just self-centered kids who want to get noticed and popular. I don't mind not having many friends or none for that matter, but the bullying really gets on my nerves...

Luckily, there is nobody at the gate waiting for me and I let out a sigh of relief before continuing on my walk home, or on my walk to the place that provides me shelter because that place really doesn't feel like home.

* * *

**Dylan Poole**

**District 4, 21, Female**

* * *

_3 years ago_

* * *

"Bye Mom, bye Dad!" I cry as I leave the house and shut the door, continuing down a long and twisting road. I hear a click and look behind me to see my parents rushing out.

"You didn't think you were getting away that easily, did you?" My mom chuckles and gives me a bear hug as my dad comes from behind and ruffles my hair, indeed we are a very loving family.

"And me!" A little girl giggles and I look below me to see the cheery face of my younger sister Marissa. She turned 10 a couple of days ago and now she had already grown a little above my waist.

"I really do hope I get this." I sigh, I know I most likely won't. It's not like any of the trainers at the academy paid much attention to me anyway, but maybe, just maybe, they would pick me and maybe I could win. I could make it so my parents never had to work again! But, there's one problem:_ could_. Could isn't a will, could is just maybe and maybe would not be good enough because I- I will win!

I let out a sigh as my family slowly loosens their grip on me and backs away.

"I'm so scared for you." My dad whispers and I smile, shaking my head. My parents weren't very _Happy__ Hunger Games _people, sure they liked to watch it but having their daughter in it? It scared them that they may have to watch me die gruesomely, it scared me that they may have to.

"Okay, I have to go. The tournament starts in 15 minutes and I have to make some final preparations." I smile at them confidently but they all know I'm a nervous wreck inside.

"Good luck, sweetie!" My mom cries and I take a deep breath, I _will _do this.

And so, I walk along the winding and bumpy path of middle-class 4. My parents weren't exactly loaded in money but we had enough and enough is good but I want more. I want to be able to buy a loaf of bread without having to think about how much I'm spending and I just want to know that I have accomplished something.

Sometimes I think it's stupid.

_Come on Dylan, you don't need to prove your own worth to yourself!_

But most of the time it makes sense, I need this. So, that's why I open the doors of the academy and sign in my name for the tournament. It was pretty much a virtual Hunger Games and I was about to find out if I am Victor material. It's only girls in my tournament to determine the female spot.

I go into the changing rooms and somebody jumps at me, knocking me back.

"Darya!" I cry, Darya and I have been going to the academy together since we were 12 and we have been best friends ever since. She was fun but slightly energetic and wild.

"I can't believe it's today!" She squeals and I shake my head at her and push her off of me, standing up. All the other girls are too busy preparing or getting changed to take notice of us. "Today one of us could find out if we're going in!"

"Yep, we're teaming right?" I whisper to her and, while beaming, she nods her head. Teaming wasn't against the rules but I didn't want anybody to know we were teaming because gaining a target on our backs would be stupid.

I take the black elastic band off of my wrist, where my blood circulation had started to stop, and tie my wavy brown hair into a ponytail. Then, I reach into my locker to find some tights and a tight long-sleeved shirt, both are white and black.

I meet back up with Darya and we line up with the other girls, some nervous and some jumping about with confidence. I wish I was confident. In a single-file line, we lead out of the changing rooms and I take deep breaths as we enter the hall where our VR setups are ready, waiting for us. Darya and I have boxes, the VR setups are in boxes with a small door, next to each other meaning we'll launch into the 'bloodbath' together.

The whole event was really a bloodbath and didn't usually take longer than 2 hours to determine a Victor, that lucky girl that could make it and achieve her dreams. The girl that most likely won't be me.

A blond-haired man walks into the box, I've seen him a couple of times around the academy and he usually trains people with bows and arrows. That wasn't really my thing, I am more of a trident type of girl. The blonde guy puts a bulky eye mask onto my head and I'm immediately teleported into the world of the headset.

I wait on a pedestal as the other girls start to appear around me, looking just as alive as ever.

_It's not real, Dylan. It's not real._

Finally, Darya appears on her pedestal beside me and a countdown from 10 starts.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

A gong sounds and I fly off my pedestal. The 'arena' is a typical forest. The normal for a normal Hunger Games. I sprint to the cornucopia and feel as fast as the wind, only realizing that I was the slowest to get there as soon as I picked up the trident I had seen a couple of minutes earlier.

I look around and watch 1 girl get stabbed by another's sword. I don't know what to do. Suddenly, I feel a bang against my back and turn to see Darya.

"Let's do this!" She laughs and we run towards a girl who looks petrified, I don't know if I can 'kill' her. Hopefully, Darya will do it for me. As soon as we reach her she snarls and laughs as she pulls a knife from her belt and it flies right in the middle of Darya's eyes. Blood squirts everywhere and I fall to the ground.

"Oh my god...Darya?"

_It's not real!_

But I don't need to keep telling myself that because I feel a tingling sensation in my back and the next thing I know, I'm being taken out of the headset and back into the real world.

I had failed.

My final shot.

And I had failed...

I'm a failure, a loser. Why did I ever think I could do this.

My tears run down my face, and into my mouth, providing me with a salty taste. I am nothing more than a fisher or a seller.

Or am I even that?

Oh well, everything I have worked towards is gone now.

Everything is gone.

* * *

**Adaira 'Ada' Conch**

**District 4, 10, Female**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

I had fallen asleep in the laundry room last night, my aunt and uncle had grounded me for pushing Derya (which I didn't do) and I really didn't want to face my uncle's physical abuse. I am going to have to today, though...

They are probably waiting outside the door right now.

My head pounds and my mouth is dry, I haven't eaten since the sandwich I had at school for lunch yesterday and I haven't drunk anything in what feels like days. The aftereffect of avoiding my 'family' always came around and I have to face them for a couple of days. Today I have to put my mind on my first reaping, though.

It isn't likely that any of my family will be reaped because our family is quite small, so I'm not too worried about it but I know if any of my family is reaped then I'm definitely getting picked. I take a few deep breaths as a couple of tears well in my eyes and I unlock the door of the laundry room, dashing out and up the stairs to my small room. I open the only window in my room and head into the hallway.

I don't have anything to wear so I hope Derya has something for me.

I peek through into her room, she's not there. Maybe she's out with her friends? I'm not a thief but I decide to open her closet slowly and take out a gray knee-high skirt and white ruffled blouse. It looks really pretty and I'm proud of my fashion choice. My mom would've called me beautiful...

I leave the room and as I do I bang right into Derya, quickly I shove the outfit behind my back and try to push past her.

"What are you doing?" She scowls and I whimper, still trying to budge past her. "Dad! Ada is sneaking around in my room." She calls downstairs and my eyes go blurry with tears. Why did I do this? It was such a bad idea!

"Derya, please..." I whisper as Uncle Harbor climbs the stairs.

"Please, what? You shouldn't have been in my room bitch." Derya has been learning a few new words that I don't completely know the meaning of but they sound bad.

"That little brat!" Uncle Harbor cries and I shiver in the doorframe of Derya's room.

_There is no point running._

I think as he reaches the top of the stairs but as he dives towards me I cry out and run to the left, back to my room. I'm cornered. Still, I hold the outfit to my chest, not letting go. My uncle corners me and I back away to the window that I had left open only moments earlier.

Without a second of hesitation, I jump out of the window as my Uncle reaches for me. I do a back roll as I hit the small patch of grass at the front of our house, I only feel a small pinch in my arm. I have developed quite a high pain tolerance over the years of abuse, finally something positive.

I run across the smooth, grey pavement of District 4, wiping the beads of sweat from my face. I find a narrow alleyway and strip off my clothes, I don't need them anyway, then I pull on my sister's outfit. It fits comfortably and I brush my hands through my hair, trying to get rid of the bed hair look and go for something more presentable.

I see a couple of Peacekeepers heading towards the center of the District, this is probably a sign that the reaping is starting so I leave my dirty clothes in a clump on the ground and runoff in the same direction the Peacekeepers are walking. I slip past them agilely and come to a stop as I reach a huge stage with crowds of people, hurrying about and looking around nervously.

I get in a line with some other kids and an older man with his son. Suddenly, I feel sweat shooting out of my pores and dripping down my pale face. I don't know whether they're nerves or just because the hot sun is beating down on my face. All I can think about right now is having to go home and having to face my family...

My finger is pricked as I reach the front of the line and it makes a small spot of blood, I rub together my 2 fingers and the blood disappears, leaving nothing but a miniature hole in my finger.

I'm told to stand with a bunch of kids I know from school, then I see Sillya and run to stand next to her.

* * *

**Dylan Poole**

**District 4, 21, Female**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

I sit on a worn-out cushion that lays on top of a 2ft stool. My mom sits beside me in a similar chair and we wait by our stall in the market. Everybody is busy preparing for reaping day so there aren't too many stalls out today but we always stay open on reaping day.

A short little boy comes rushing over with a couple of coins shaking about in his tightly shut hand. My mom looks away from her book, she only usually reads when she needs to pass the time.

"Hi!"

"Hello, welcome to _Fish for a fantastic Dish!_ how may I help you today?" My mom asks and I pull on some gloves, my dad hasn't got back from fishing yet and so we only have a couple of options from yesterday's leftovers.

"How much is the salmon?" The scruffy boy asks in a squeaky voice.

"2 coins," I reply and he hands the 2, sweaty from being in his hand, coins as I pull out our last salmon from out of the freezer. "Enjoy." I smile and he giggles a thank you as he runs off in the direction of the poorer side of 4. He looked around 10-years-old and I can't help but think about him having to go into The Hunger Games.

Maybe I could be going in today and I really hope it's not me because that would mean certain death. I wasn't good enough to volunteer so how would I manage against trained careers? Some of which might be older or younger than me.

"Mom?" I blurt out and she looks over at me.

"Mhm?" She replies, probably uninterested.

"If you're reaped today, who would you pick?"

"Oh, well. I guess I haven't really thought about it." That was a lie, she had most likely been up all last night thinking about it. She lets out a deep sigh, "you." She whispers and I look down to my feet, I'm glad she told the truth and I know I'd rather go in than anyone else in my family but it's still scary knowing that anyone in my family might choose me.

What if I'm picked? I can't pick my sister...she's too young. My parents are too old to manage in the arena, though! Oh, I hope it doesn't come down to this.

It's not long before my dad arrives back with a bucket of fish, it's not as much as usual but it'll do.

"We'll have to get home to Marissa and get changed." My father says as he dumps the fish into the freezer and closes it, he looks a little grumpy but I know that he's too polite to actually show it.

I look down at my torn up work outfit and decide my dad is right, I have a nice outfit at home that I've been waiting to try on anyway.

...

We arrive home after the 10-minute walk. Our home was on the more average side of 4, it is nice here and even though I still live with my parents and sister, it's a quiet and peaceful house.

"Finally, you're home!" My sister shouts as we open the door and I pull her into my arms.

"Let's go get me an outfit." I laugh and carry her all the way up the stairs and into my room. I throw Marissa onto the bed and dig through my wardrobe to find a blue blouse, some black leggings and my new black boots I had gotten from Marissa for my birthday. "Close your eyes," I say and she rolls them. Then, she puts her hands over her eyes and I pull on my reaping outfit.

"How do I look?" I ask and she gasps.

"I wish I was as pretty as you!" She squeals and I chuckle.

"Oh, Marissa! You're way prettier." I sigh and she hugs me.

"You really think so?"

"Of course."

...

We are some of the last people to arrive at the reaping and I go with Marissa in one line whereas my mom and dad go in the other line. There's only one person in front of us and we make it to the front of the line in no time.

I see a few tears in Marissa's eyes.

"You'll be okay, I'll go first." I get my finger pricked and wipe off the spot of blood, then Marissa goes and she lets go a sigh of relief as it's done.

"You go over there." I point to the pen of 13-10-year-old girls and she smiles, nodding.

"Love you." She says and rushes over to her friends.

"Hey, over here!" A girl with short brown hair cries, it's Darya.

"Coming!" I cry as I duck into the pen and push to get next to her.

* * *

**Whent Lush**

**District 4 Escort, 20, Male**

* * *

I sit on the steps of the bac of the Justice Building, taking in the sweet scent of the cupcake I had been given just a few seconds before. All I had said to them on the train was that it was my birthday and as I left they sung a song and gave me a cake.

It was a nice gesture, I suppose. I haven't had a birthday cake since my parents were executed for being rebels, I can't think about that now though, after all, I don't want the same result as them. The only reason I'm here is to get out of the streets of the Capitol, to get out of thievery.

I don't know why they accepted my application, of the 20,000 Capitolites that submitted one. I guess they just did random District assignment as all the escorts were replaced for the quarter quell.

"Whent! You're on in 2 minutes." A voice cries from the door and I turn to see a stunning woman with wavy brown hair and dazzling blue eyes. I get lost in them for a second before I shake my head and stand up clumsily. I remember watching Fila in the 142nd Hunger Games, she murdered all her allies in her sleep. Which means I cannot trust her if she did that to her allies then why would she be hesitant to betray me?

I can't trust anyone here. I stand up and glare at her, trying not to get lost in her eyes. She opens the door for me and I can't help but use my manners.

"Thanks," I mutter and walk inside the humongous building.

"Hey! Whent, right?" A man in his mid-thirties laughs and puts an arm over me as if I'm an old friend.

"Indeed," I reply and shrug him off.

"Whent, you're on!" Somebody cries and I look out of the window to see the mayor waiting for me. I pat down my sky blue tuxedo they had dressed me in on the train and take a deep breath as I open the door. There are a couple of cheers but district 4 is surprisingly silent for reaping day.

"Okay, let's just do this," I say into the microphone. "Welcome our mentors, Fila and Salm." I quickly say as I remember the lines I had rehearsed. The 2 confidently step out of the door and acknowledge the screams and applause they get.

"I'm going to start now," I say awkwardly and decide to just plunge my hand into the glass bowl. I read the name as _Derya Conch_ in my head and then read it aloud. "Derya Conch."

There are some chuckles and a couple of giggles from some girls in the 10-13-year-olds section until a light brown haired girl, ducks under the pen, smirking. What could be so funny about choosing a family member to go to their death?

_Remember Whent, you don't care._

Right, I don't care.

"Who do you pick?" I ask as Derya stands next to me and takes a microphone.

"Alright, alright no need to rush." She snaps and then winks in the direction she'd just come from. "My cousin, Adaira Conch, the nasty little shit stop my clothes today, that's the only reason she looks presentable." I raise an eyebrow as Derya leaves the stage and is replaced by a, not very shocked, 10-year-old girl with a darker shade of brown hair than Derya and the same brown eyes.

"Next is..." I pluck another slip. This time, I decide to read it out loud straight away. "Marissa Poole," I tell the audience and more noise comes from the 10-13-year-olds section. I hear some squeals and finally, a young girl is escorted to the stage. She looks very similar to Adaira but, unlike her, she is sobbing.

"Marissa, who do you choose?" I ask and realize my tone is a little softer as usual.

"My...my...sister."

"And who might that be?" A Peacekeeper grunts.

"Dylan Poole!" She screams and starts sobbing again, getting pulled away by Peacekeepers. A young woman climbs the stairs and wipes away some of Marissa's tears.

"Please, shake hands," I say and the 2 girls shake hands, Dylan having to bend down a little. "Your tributes, district 4!"

Wow, I haven't done that much speaking in a long time.

**A/N: Sorry it took so long y'all! Here it is.**

**Y'all better be washing your hands! Seriously, stay safe. :3**

**A slightly longer one, I loved writing these guys and I got carried away in Whent's pov.**

**Who will survive longer, Adaira or Dylan?  
**

**Who do you prefer?  
**

**What do you think of Whent?**

**Also, I thought I might do 12 goodbye povs after District 6. Good Idea or not?**

**Leave a review if you can!**

**-James**


	10. District 5

**A/N: Thanks Guesttwelve for Kennon and 20 for Boulevard and Antonieta.**

* * *

**Kennon Vale**

**District 5, 24, Male**

* * *

_8 years ago_

* * *

I grunt as I sign up for yet another tessera and I hand the sheet into a Peacekeeper that waits on the other side of the table.

"Thank you, Mr. Vale. It will be there sometime this week." Sometime this week? We need it now for crying out loud but I can't say that. So, instead, I yawn, nod my head, and leave the Justice Building. I can't wait to get home and sleep, after all, it's only 11 am and sleep is the most important part of the day.

Hart is probably going to be mad that I'm coming home empty-handed and will likely try to send me off to work as soon as I step into our home if you could even call it that, still it is enough to keep us comfortable. Hart and I disagree on most things, mainly my sleep schedule, and I don't like to talk to him as he tends to get on my nerves with his icy glare, always acting like a disappointed father.

My father isn't the best either, (I think as I slip into a small alleyway, too tired to make the rest of the journey back home) he is never really around and my mother and he are always getting into arguments. My mother is okay, very strict, but still as loving as a mother can be. I rub my eyes and stretch, observing what's going on around me. As always, there's that faint buzz from the power plants around 20 miles away from me and I sit on an uncomfortable ground filled with sharp rocks. I yelp as I sit on one, trying to get comfortable.

A cat leaps over me after running from the far end of the alleyway, I try to see what it was running from but my eyesight doesn't get that far and all I see is darkness. I rub my eyes and stretch my arms and legs, so what if I'm a little late home? I'll be okay! I sigh with relief as I tell myself this and manage to close my eyes for 1 second when I realize what the cat was running from and why I only recall it being strange now, it was bleeding with deep cuts on it's back and face.

Three boys, a similar age to me but maybe a bit younger, are smirking at me as they approach, one is holding one of the sharp rocks and it's covered with blood, I guess I now know what had made those deep cuts. I slowly get up as they walk towards me and give them a small, hopefully reassuring, smile.

"I'll be off now, goodbye," I say and nod my head at them before turning around and leaving.

_Well, that worked._

I think with a smile as I walk away from the 3 hooded boys. Unfortunately, my calmness did not save me as I feel a sharp pain in my upper leg and look around to see a sharp rock sitting inside of it, only slightly sticking out. "Killer aim," I reply, trying to keep on their good side. Hopefully, if I keep calm, they'll back off. Another rock flies past my face, thrown by the boy on the right. It chips my ear and I wince as I touch the small cut it has made. District 5 doesn't usually have problems with this kind of stuff, that's more District 6, but, like every district, we have to deal with it every known and then.

"Kennon! What's up?" A voice cries and I turn to see my childhood friend, Marco. He's always here when I need him but most of the time he's here when I don't and is quite the pushover. All I want to do is rest but some people don't understand that, like Marco.

I grunt and he spots the 3 boys that glare at him. "Oh no, it looks like I'm going to have to alert the Peacekeepers!" He shouts at the top of his lungs so the boys get worried and they run off, dropping their rocks. "Always getting yourself into trouble, hey Ken?"

"Hm," I reply I hope this doesn't take too long so I can get home as soon as possible.

"I'm heading to Rachel's party. Coming?"

"Rachel?" I ask and he explains the wild 21-year-old that would have sex with anyone, no matter their age. Sounds like a shit party, there likely won't be anywhere to sit down.

"Yeah, I'm just going to go home."

"Aw, Kennon! You're so boring. Well, catch you later." He cries as he rushes off in the opposite direction, what a day it has been.

I almost completely forget about the tesserae as I arrive back at my compact and solemn home, it's usually fairly quiet but today it's different. I hear cries coming from the kitchen (which was also used as a lounge) and I rush in to see my mother sobbing and my youngest brother standing behind her chair, stroking her shoulder.

"Father has left." He says and an immediate feeling of hurt pierces through me, I knew they were having a tough time but he just went and left! He was our main source of income and he just left...

"Where's Duke and Hart, do they know?" I ask, speaking of my older brothers.

"They're at work, they don't know, he only left an hour ago. Where're the tesserae? Mom could use something to eat, right mom?"

"I- It will be here sometime this week."

"What? Kennon, we're starving! The least you could do is work." Ugh, work. The most dreaded part of the day. I usually get out of it with some antics and a few 'friends' help me.

My brothers come rushing through the door and I sigh, walking towards our shared room and closing the door behind me. I'd rather be sleeping right now than dealing with all of this.

* * *

**Boulevard Caecelli**

**District 5, 20, Male**

* * *

_1 year ago_

* * *

Unlike most days at high and middle school, the university is a lot more chilled out. There is no need to always be turning to look behind me for bullies or always be anxious about getting slammed against the wall. Of course, my life isn't perfect but you could say it's better than what it was, a lot better. I have friends now and my mother and I have grown so much closer.

"Mr. Caecelli?" My literacy teacher asks and my eyes dart to face my teacher in the eyes.

"Yes, sir?"

"Can you answer the question?"

"I...can you repeat it, please?" I feel my face heat up, as it usually does when I get nervous or embarrassed. I'm normally a good listener but today I've just been getting distracted because if I fail this literature course then I don't know what will happen to me. All my dreams of becoming a writer will be spat on and laughed at.

For some reason, after class, I begin to cry. I guess it's because I hate myself. I hate that I have no control over myself and my disgusting ticks around other men, even my own father, or stepfather, sets me off sometimes.

I used to hate myself for feeling that sexual way towards my father, whenever I hugged him or was even mildly close to him. I felt a little better after the therapy and my mother telling me the truth, how she had gone to the pub, having been tired and stressed out, with a couple of friends and she saw the mysterious man who had her going straight to the bed. She had almost aborted me but she didn't (although, sometimes I wish she had) and I looked enough like my stepfather for him to believe I was his child.

I lean against my locker in the long hallway of my massive University. I'm so small compared to it, I'm just like everyone else. I'll be out of the university soon and it will be like I was never there, when all I really want is to be valued and loved, to be an extravagant writer that is loved throughout the Capitol. Maybe the districts too but my father says they're very poor so I doubt they'll be able to afford my brilliant pieces.

I don't hate the districts, not like my father, my mother and I have always been pro-union and peace. I love my mother very dearly and we look very alike, most say that I'm the male version of her and I don't mind that at all.

"Boulevard!" I hear and I jump out of my thoughts and back into reality to see a short and smiling boy approaching me, smiling.

"Hi," I say to Miracle as he hi-fives me. He's a good friend and I spend most of my evenings with his brother and him at the literacy club. Unfortunately, we don't have many, if any at all, classes together as he takes social studies and his brother (Midnight) takes software making. Still, we all have a deep passion for literacy and we all enjoy going to the club.

They are just about my only friends here since my 2, only 2, friends from high school both went to a different uni. I used to do theatre with them and they always made me feel less alone than I am.

"So, see you this evening?"

"Yeah, maybe." 'Yeah, maybe' means yes, we both know that I have nothing better to do. I've never really liked going to parties, and even if I did, I'd never get invited to one.

"Okay, cool. Let's go home, then." He smiles and trails off the hallway, pulling his phone out, expecting me to follow him and so I do. I was wanting to walk by myself but a little company wouldn't hurt. My mother has been saying I need to socialize more.

"Where is Midnight?" I ask as I catch up to Miracle, blasting his rock music from his phone.

"I don't know, am I not good enough company," I smirk and shrug. We make it out of the door of our school and start walking. Miracle's home is about 5 minutes away and mine is around 8 so it's not long until we part ways. He finishes telling me about his latest mystery novel and then waves me off as I head in the opposite direction.

For some reason, I feel like I'm forgetting something. Was something supposed to happen today? No, just university, right? That's when it hits me, it was just university but not mine. Amaryllo, my 18-year-old brother, was becoming a citizen of District 5 today and moving there to go to a specialist university. I begin to run, I'm not very fast or fit so it still takes me a minute to get to the end of my road and I see a car outside my house.

I am about to make it to the house when the car starts and moves forward with quickening speed. I see my younger brother in the window and frantically wave at him. Knowing my brother, he doesn't usually like to show affection the normal way and most of the time insults people. I love him, either way. I sigh and open the door to my house, heading inside.

* * *

**Kennon Vale**

**District 5, 24, Male**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

"Work? On reaping day? Since when?" I question my older brother Duke. He's only a year older than me so it's not like he has too much control over me and we most likely get on the best out of our siblings.

"Since today and every other day since you turned 19." He sighs and puts on a coat. "Hart and Edison are waiting for us outside, we'll only be an hour, so come on." He opens the door while throwing me my thin coat that my mother had made, I see my younger and elder brother waiting impatiently outside the bottom floor of the apartment so I throw on my coat and head out.

We've been living in the apartment for some years now, maybe 5. It wasn't the best living space, especially because I'm 24 and still living with my whole family. I mean, I don't necessarily mind, it's good enough to get some sleep.

My brothers and I, Hart and Edison walking in front of Duke and me, all walk to the same place. It's the power plant east of our home. Hart and I both operate one side while the other 2 operate the other. At first, I thought operators were an amazing occupation because it sounded very high up but there are around 300 operators in the east power plant.

I sigh as Hart and I walk to the other side of the plant while my brothers go the other way. We sign in quickly and my name looks more like a 5-year-old just scribbled. I don't care, though. My hands are aching and I can't write properly. Hart rolls his eyes at my writing and I continue forward to our machine that sits ready for us to turn it on.

I slump right down onto the blue chair beside it and let Hart turn the machine on, I'm about to help but he shakes his head and pushes me back down to my chair. I guess if he doesn't want me to help him then he can't get mad at me. In a matter of minutes, I'm asleep on the chair but just as quickly I had gone to sleep, I had woken up.

"Are you going to help?" Hart snaps, he doesn't talk very often but usually, the only words he speaks to me are words of negativity. I rub my eyes and stand up to face my brother.

"I thought you didn't want my help..." I murmur and he scowls, holding up a panel and a cloth for me to clean it with. I sit back down on the chair and start rubbing at the stains. I do this for the next 20 minutes and I'm quite proud to see that it's clean, I look over at Hart, excited to get complimented, just to see that he's already done at least 10 of them that look equally as clean as mine.

I feel slightly jealous but I easily let go of it and go back to scrubbing.

"My hands feel like they're going to fall off." I cry and throw down my fourth clean panel, stretching my hands and fighting to stay awake. "I can't wait to get home and sleep."

"Well, that's going to have to wait. The reaping starts in a half-hour and we don't have time to go back home." I groan and look to see I'm in worn-out jeans and a jacket. I guess it's good enough, it's not likely I'll be reaped.

"Kennon, why are you laying down?" Someone says and I sit up, turning around to see Edison. We have a brotherly bond but I can tell he's starting to dislike me.

"Sorry, just stretching." He nods but I know he doesn't believe me.

"Let's go, the reaping is starting soon and we'll miss the mayor's speech," Duke says and I climb up off the floor, with his help and we sign out of the building. I hope I don't have to get reaped, I couldn't bare having to choose one of my family members to go to that death game.

We arrive a minute late and the Peacekeepers look a little mad but they prick our fingers anyway and I stand with the rest of my brothers in the men in 20's section.

* * *

**Boulevard Caecelli**

**District 5, 20, Male**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

"You're so intelligent, Boulevard. You're such a good guy and the perfect son!" Most sons would be happy to hear that, incredibly so if they weren't an only child, but it's different for me. Maybe that's why my mother is taken aback by the scowl that now lays on my face.

Being a good guy means you're treated badly, it means you're naive and gullible. If I want to matter in this world, being a good guy is the worst way to go about it. I just wish to be free.

_Free._

Such a wonderful and misused word. Perfect for a poem. So, as I usually do, I sit at my oak wood desk and pull out a slip of paper from my notebook. I hardly realize my mother is still there until I'm halfway done with the poem.

"As free as the singing bird, limping on a liquid tree." My mother reads from the paper and I read it over again, it's terrible. Just like every other poem I've tried to write today! I bang my fist on my desk and throw another scrunched up paper out of the window. I feel like crying. Just stay strong, Boulevard. I'm never going to be strong, though. Never.

"Boulevard it was amazing! What's wrong, are you okay my sweetie?" Pity. Stupid pity. It's not loving, it's weakening. Nobody on this earth loves me.

"Just a bit of true love! That's all I ask and I get pity..." I snap at my mom and she glares intensely at me and then leaves my room, slamming the door behind her. I bang my head against the desk, over and over again.

"Why does nobody on this goddamn Earth understand?!" I scream and then the poem I had just thrown out the window flies past my ear, this makes me and so I look out the window to see a grinning woman with 2 cats beside her. Glacia has always been a good friend and one that truly understands me.

"Come on! You will be late to watch the reapings!" She shouts at me from the top of my apartment and so I decided that I need a little time away from home. I have to watch the reapings either way, especially now that Amaryllo could be reaped this year. It's unlikely but my mother always says it's a possibility.

I run down the marble staircase all the way from the 3rd floor to the ground floor of the apartment. I arrive outside and can't help but smile to see her. Since she now goes to a different university, we don't see each other very often.

"Look, Casper and Celia! It's your old friend Boulevard." I've never been too fond of cats but when Glacia wants something, she's going to get it. I slowly pat the head of Celia and run my fingers through Casper's fur, his green eyes staring into mine. I'm not sure if he's happy about this or not but either way, I don't care.

"Can we go?" I moan and Glacia rolls her eyes, heading down the road, frolicking all the way. She's sometimes a little too happy, I think as I watch her aqua hair bounce around. She scoops up Casper and Celia doesn't seem to like it too much as she runs off down an alleyway.

"Atlanta is coming too but as always, he's late!" She cries as she opens the door to her home. I can't wait to just sit back and relax with 2 of my closest friends.

* * *

**Antonieta Massacre**

**District 5 Escort, 40, Female**

* * *

I flip my beautiful violet curls and they flow with the wind, my perfect body fit with the perfect dark red dress. I'm so amazing, so talented! How could they put me in such a district as 5? I push open the doors of the justice building and strike a pose, giving myself the dramatic entrance I deserve. There are a few people around the place so I throw my fur jacket at one that runs by.

Then, my eyes catch something. He's a little short but he's all muscle and so hot! I remember watching Korsoff on TV, there is no way he could deny me, Anonieta Massacre. I slip past him making sure to get a little touchy and start rubbing his shoulders. He keeps a stoic expression, playing hard to get I assume. Then, he slaps my hands away.

"Get off me." He growls and I snarl back.

"Too short and old for me anyway!" Imagine thinking you could get with **me **at the old age of 32. Ridiculous.

"I have a wife." As if I care. I slap him across the face and drift over to the other mentor.

"Hello, you look uglier in person if I do say so myself." She just stares at me blankly and I grimace. I guess this is why people call her Foebe Far Away.

"When do I start?" I scream at a guy holding a light on a ladder.

"After the mayor announces you, ma'am."

"And when is that?" I scream and he looks as if he's about to fall off the ladder.

"May I now announce our new escort, Antonieta Massacre." The mayor says through his microphone and my name sounds so incredible as he announces me, just as I should be announced.

"Hello, District 5." I snarl as I push the mayor out od my way and get myself in the spotlight.

"And our mentors!" He shouts, looking worryingly at me. The 2 mentors are clapped for and I signal them to stop with my hands, glaring at them with my deep brown eyes.

"Looking as dirty as ever. Now, let's pick some names and see some drama, hm?" I reach out to the glass bowl in front of me and pluck out a slip. "Hmmm...Roda Vale, come here." I snap and a woman comes scrambling out of the women in their 50s section. Her eyes look like they dart to the men in their 20s section and she stares longingly over there before reaching the stage.

"Hurry up, who do you pick?"

"Um...m-my son Kennon."

"Alright, get out of here. Kennon! Your own mother has picked you! You should be feeling pretty depressed." A man in his early 20's wearing a worker's uniform climbs under his pen and walks up the stage. He looks almost ashamed with his hands in his pockets and his face looking solemnly at the ground. "What's with everyone being so slow today?! Hurry the fuck up!" I scream at him and he moves a little faster, standing next to me on the stage.

"Next!" I scream into the mic and take out another slip from the very bottom of the bowl. "Amaryllo Caecelli. Come to the stage." A boy who looks on the older side of his teen years walks to the stage, he looks slightly alarmed and slightly like he's about to punch someone. "Pick."

He groans, "I don't know...I guess my brother, Boulevard."

"Alright, leave. Boulevard!" Amaryllo looks as if he wants to say something but he just goes down the steps. "Boulevard? Where are you?" I coo but nobody comes out of the pen. The Peacekeepers start to search but nothing. Suddenly, someone comes out with a tablet, and Kennon steps to the side so I can stand next to her.

"Boulevard Caecelli, 20, Capitol." There is a gasp from the crowd. "Well, he was picked, which means he's going in. He'll meet you at the Capitol, we'll keep him contained for now."

"Mkay," I say and head back into the Justice Building with Kennon at my side and the 2 mentors, Korsoff looking surprised and Foebe still not in reality, follow behind us.

**A/N: I know, I know. "James, why did it take so long?" I've just been feeling super unproductive during quarantine but it feels good to get this done with and I'll try my best to get D6 out sooner. I hope you liked this chapter, anyway.**

**Who will survive longer, Kennon, or Boulevard?  
**

**Who do you prefer?  
**

**What do you think of Antonieta?**

**After D6, I'm going to do the goodbye POVs of all the reaped tributes from D1-D6 and then I'll do the chapters D7-D12 (the same as this) and then I'll do the D7-D12 goodbyes after that, I thought it would be nice to have a break from writing and reading the intros.**

**Leave a review if you're able to. :3**

**See you at D6!**

**-James**


	11. District 6

**A/N: Thank you matts0688 for Galena and Antoine. Also, thank you to santiago . poncini20 for Omri and Aston and bluesonq for Bryx. Speaking of bluesonq, she has an SYOT currently open! She is a new author but I definitely would trust her to write any of the tributes you want to submit, so please do check it out! Another shoutout to A Proud Bibliophile, go submit to her SYOT Pillars of Salt and Foxfox12 has an SYOT open called partners which will be fun.**

* * *

**Galena Hope Valencia**

**District 6, 20, Female**

* * *

_3 years ago_

* * *

That feeling always came whenever I am near her, the feeling of my heart-stopping and my body tingling with the sight of her. Misty Greenwood is just perfect... There is nothing about her I don't like, she's hard-working and has a great sense of humor and she's a loyal friend. A friend...that's all she was, but...was that all she had to be?

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like, waking up next to her in the morning. Having this feeling every second of the day would just be amazing. Though, I have no idea if she feels the same way, a lot of the time I feel her eyes on me and hope she's having the same tingling sensation.

"Galena? Are you okay?" My eyes fly to the floor as I realize I had been staring into those emerald green circles a little too long for it not to be strange. Being bisexual wasn't something that I didn't like about myself but I wasn't necessarily telling the whole world about it.

"Yes, I'm alright." Ever since we were kids I always get nervous while talking to her, to be fair, I get nervous when talking to anyone. I've always lacked that sort of confidence to be so friendly and talkative. We carry on through the wood, walking toward the school. The same magical walk through the wood with her every day. Except for today, something feels different.

I feel a strange surge of confidence to do something I had never even thought about before. I don't even know if she likes me back! How could I think this way? Maybe my body was giving me signals that she does like me back?! My breathing starts to intensify and I'm now staring into her, caring and worried eyes.

"D-do you like anyone, Misty?" I manage and she smiles at me like I'm joking.

"Seriously? You never talk about boys with me, Galena! What's up with you today?" We're turning to the right path of the wood meaning we're nearing school and if I want it to be special, it needs to happen soon.

"Well, do you...?"

"I mean, Harri is kind of cute but he picks his nose...there is this one person, though. We've been friends for a while and I think we could really hit it off but I'm unsure of what people would think of us together."

I knew it! She does feel the same way...I can't believe it! All this time I've been worrying and she's been feeling the exact same as I have. This truly will be the best moment of my life. I stop in my tracks and she stops just in front of me, a weird look on her face. I have dreamed of this moment and it's happening. I don't know how to do this but I just go in.

My lips press against hers' and my eyes close. I don't know how she feels about this right now but she doesn't pull away. She doesn't pull away and neither do I, I never want this to end. It might never have to. Then, I feel her lip slip from mine and I open my eyes, looking to the floor with a shy smile.

"I- haha." She doesn't know what to say, she's speechless. She giggles a little more. "I'll see you around?" She says and I nod with enthusiasm and then she runs off toward our school gate. I still taste her honey vaseline on my parched tongue. Did that really just happen...? It did...it just happened.

I sigh and walk through the gate of our school smiling all the way, it's as if there isn't a care in the world.

"What you smiling about?" A girl with auburn hair and hazel eyes giggles. as she bumps into me. Alyson is 2-years younger than me and we've been good friends ever since she moved to my school. Misty isn't very fond of her but I hang out with her anyway.

"Hi, Alyson." I smile and she smirks back, we don't waste time for talk as either of us is really the talkative type and the bell for the start of lessons had just gone off.

I approach the door to my 'History of Panem' class and wave Alyson off as she sprints to her class on the other side of the hallway.

"Ah, Miss. Valencia, we were just about to start attendance. Take a seat." Mrs. Bloomsbury says to me in a soft manner, all the teachers are fairly fond of me because of my intelligence and passion for school. I take my seat next to Lydia Nastcha. She's one of the more liked people in school, popular some would say, she chuckles as I sit down and stares at me intensely.

It's strange as she never usually bothers to even look at me.

"So, how was you're walk to school with your little crush, hey?" She whispers and my heart stops. This time, it doesn't stop because of that incredible feeling, no, this time it stops because my body fills with heartbreak and betrayal. I take a long breath and choke on a sob.

"It was alright, thank you." I manage, I couldn't let her make me feel inferior.

Even if I am just an outcast.

* * *

**Antoine Caster**

**District 6, 40, Male**

* * *

_10 years ago_

* * *

"You almost here?" I question in a hushed voice. Even though there was nobody around the 3 bedroom house - that was my father's and is now in my possession - I've learned that I can never be too careful. Not after the last time I was beaten.

"Mhm, I'll be right there." Murmurs the voice of my best friend Brenton, who is more like a brother to me. When my parents split up 11 years ago, I stayed at Brenton's house every day of the week, only going back to my dad's house to see my younger brother, Carson.

I hear movement outside and slide against the wall, grabbing a sharp knife from the counter. It was only for emergencies, I would never actually murder somebody but injuring them could be a harmless act of self-defense when someone was trespassing.

"Is that you?" I snap, still in a hushed voice, as a little tap comes from the window.

"Is what me? I'm still on Farker's Road."

"Shit..." I mutter under my breath and edge, still keeping my back against the wall, to the window. I peer through the blinds to see the beaming face of my little brother. I should be mad but I can't help but drop the knife and run out the front door to give him a bear hug.

"Bro you're gonna break my back!" He laughs and pulls me into a headlock. I shake my head, still smiling.

"Come on, come in!" I welcome him, opening the door for him to walk inside my home.

"Thank you!"

"Can I get you something to drink?" I ask and he shrugs. "Is that a yes or a no."

"It's a yes." He chuckles and I rush off into the kitchen to open an ice container loaded with at least a week's supply of alcohol and this fizzy brown drink labeled "Cofe" it's nice enough. I settle on a yellow colored beer bottle and throw it to my brother as he sits on the couch.

"Wow, Antoine! How can you afford this?" I knew he'd be surprised, we live in a poorer part of D6 and grew up scrambling for food and money that we had to provide for ourselves.

"I have my ways." My ways...why does that make me feel like I'm forgetting something.

"Okay, I'm nearing your house, you ready?" Damnit.

"Look, Carson right now isn't the best time. Just leave, please. I'll call you later." I snap and his face drops, giving me an expression that looks almost angry. I know this is defying my first rule when it comes to this business, family first.

"What the hell?! First, you're acting all happy to see me and then you kick me out!"

I hear a knock on the door and close my eyes, clenching my fists. "Fine. Stay here."

"Who's at the door?" He says, standing up to go open it but I stop him just in time.

"I said stay there," I say through clenched teeth, trying not to shout. That will just bring attention to the house and that's the least I want right now.

"Dude, open the door." A hushed snap comes from my earpiece.

"Why are you wearing an earpiece...?" I ignore the question and open the front door. A blonde-haired boy with dark eyes pushes in the door, a large duffel bag on his arched back.

"Brenton? Why the hell are you here? What's going on, Antoine?" The questions flood my head and I have to think about the family first to stop me from knocking him out and carrying on with my day.

"Open the bag," I order and Brenton gives me a look of despise, he doesn't like taking orders but he stays quiet, per usual. He takes the duffel bag off his back and lets out a sigh of relief after carrying the heavy bag for 25 minutes. I unzip it and outcomes almost 100 vases with closed lids.

"Vases? You sell vases?" He chuckles and I shrug.

"This is why I didn't want to tell you, I knew you'd laugh!"

"Ah, whatever!" Brenton just stares at us and then waves us off and heads out.

"So, why did you come here? I doubt it was just to see your big brother." I pick up the vases and stuff them back in the duffel bag, zipping it closed once again, as Carson speaks.

"Well, I asked if I could move in? With dad coming back out of jail again next week, I could lend him my apartment." I think about it for a moment. I hate hiding things from Carson and I'm unsure if I can keep my business a secret for much longer.

"S-sure." I choke out. He looks at me strangely and then beams, giving me a hug as I stand back up. "See you tomorrow, then." I sigh and he nods, still smiling, he then leaves with his can of beer and I'm left on the floor to figure everything out.

I open the vase to see the small bags of white powder inside. I smile, I'll have that 1 thousand dollars that Mr. Winesteen promised me in no time. That's when I hear the shouting.

"OPEN UP THE FUCKING DOOR!" Someone booms and I hear gunshots go off. This is not good.

* * *

**Galena Hope Valencia**

**District 6, 20, Female**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

I still live at my parents' house. I can afford my own house I guess but my family and I are close, being an only child and all. My parents have always talked about wanting a massive family but they're dreams have been crushed by the many disappointments. I guess I wouldn't mind having a sibling, it couldn't be all that bad.

"Galena! The reaping is in 40 minutes and I need help with this patient." My mom cries from downstairs. There's only usually a patient in the house for emergencies or when there's no more room in the hospital. I rush down the stairs, pulling on a white jumpsuit, mask, and hairnet before walking into the room with the patient sprawled onto the table.

"A peacekeeper?" I ask and my mom nods pointing to the bullet in his leg.

"I put him to sleep while I'm going to try and take the bullet out. Could you hold him still incase he awakes?" I nod and grab onto the guy's stiff and tensed shoulders as my mom takes the tweezers out of the cabinet. She gently puts them into the wound.

"I've got ahold of it, it's fairly deep but I should be able to get it out." I nod and take a look at the open wound, blood is spilling everywhere.

"Be quick, mom," I say as he's losing blood fast, she pulls and the peacekeeper jumps, beginning to scream. I hold him down and my mom takes out the bullet, I'm not strong enough to hold him down for more than a few seconds before he pushes me to the floor and screams in agony.

"Settle down, sir. We're the nurses." He breathes heavily and closes his eyes, nodding, I can tell he's attempting to keep himself together and he lays back down. "Galena, a bandage, please." I rush over to the medical equipment behind me and pull out a roll of the material, throwing it to my mom who catches it and immediately pushes it down on the peacekeeper's leg. "I should be okay, thanks, honey. Go get changed for the reaping." She let's go a hacking cough, covering her mouth.

I don't know how my mother does it, having being diagnosed with pneumonia a week ago, she's still fighting to save people's lives.

I smile and head back upstairs to go look through my wardrobe for something to wear.

"How is he?" My dad asks, knocking on the door to my room.

"He should be okay," I reply.

"You and your mother are such a brilliant team, you know?" I smile at this, my mother is one of the top doctors in District 6 and I don't see her very often so this fills me with joy to know I'm similar to her. I pull a blue and white striped dress from my wardrobe as my dad leaves the room. It's nice enough and so I pull it on and head back down the stairs.

"Ready?" I ask and both my parents follow me outside, the peacekeeper has already left, most likely to be taken to the reaping as everyone in our district can be reaped this year, even our mayor I suppose. I think if my parents are reaped who would they pick. I turn to them, suddenly.

"Dad, if you're reaped, pick me," I say bluntly and turn back to walking, spotting my friend Alyson. She's definitely my best friend, despite everything, she has stuck by my side.

"I'll see you after the reaping." I smile and give them each a kiss on the cheek before running after Alyson. She stands to wait in the line and I tap her on the shoulder.

"Galena, hi!"

"Hello," I say it's strange being back in the line for reaping, after all, I had celebrated my last reaping much too early.

* * *

**Antoine Caster**

**District 6, 40, Male**

* * *

_Reaping Day_

* * *

I sit quietly on the bed of my prison cell, as per usual, locked up with only a small window that looks out to the courtyard of the Capitol confinement. I often wonder what life would be like if I had never chosen the drug trade business but I don't dwell on it too much, after all, I had chosen it.

Today was a special day for most of us district prisoners, we get to go home. It's not because our sentence is done, no it's because of The Hunger Games. It may be the one thing that can cut my sentence shorter, after all, you can't imprison a Victor.

I should be used to prison by now, after being here several times before but they were shorter sentences, having been here for 10 years straight, and knowing I have 7 more to go is tough. It's not all bad, we get nice enough rooms. A small but comfortable bed and a bathroom to ourselves, it's not like how my father had described it. Speaking of my father, he got out of this very prison 2 days ago. Just like most of my life has been, he's been in prison most of my childhood.

I saw him a couple of times and it was reassuring to have that slight bit of home but the peacekeepers kept us mostly apart from seeing each other, they're cruel like that. The slight bit of sense they get that you're doing something wrong and it's a wack around the head.

Just as I think of the violent human beings, one of them starts to unlock the door to my cell.

"Speak of the devil," I mutter as the peacekeeper comes in.

"Sorry?" He snarls and I roll my eyes, earning myself a slap. I may get to see Carson today, what a good feeling that is. I know from his once a year visits that he's taking over the drug trade and he and Brenton are trying to free me, I've told him to stop trying but determined Carson won't listen and I'm afraid it will get him stuck in here too.

I walk outside, following the peacekeeper to a line of orange jumpsuited people. All the prisoners of district 6 stands in line, everyone attached to each other by handcuffs. I'm the last to join the line and the peacekeeper attaches me to the man in front of me. I know him as Acre Kult, he was put in here for a life sentence after killing his entire family at age 19.

I would've put him in an asylum but I guess I'm no judge.

We are lead into the hovercraft outside, each stepping in through the large door that closes behind me mechanically. Everyone is unattached from each other but our handcuffs stay on our hands as we're buckled tightly into our seats. There are 6 Peacekeepers stationed, each holding a gun. Nobody would dare to escape, even if they did. Where would they go?

The hovercraft takes off and I settle in for the 20-minute journey.

It's not long before the hovercraft lands and, just as we had been taken in, we walk out and get re-attached, following along with the Peacekeepers to the town center. A lot of children, adults, and elderly stare at us. Some people in line hug each other tighter, most likely afraid of getting stuck with a criminal in The Hunger Games.

I'm as calm as I'll ever be as I get my finger pricked, then I spot Carson and rush over, he hugs me tight before I've pulled away to the separate section for us, prisoners. A crowd of orange dressed people at the back of the reaping square.

* * *

**Aston Ford**

**District 6 Escort, 18, Male**

* * *

I walk into the justice building, immediately being greeted by a beaming, tall, freckled girl that waves hello. Straight away, she looks like someone that's going to get on my nerves, that's the thing with me, always prejudging people. I'm not entirely sure why maybe because I know they'll judge me either way.

I push past her, not saying a word as I look out the windows of the justice building. I take a deep breath as I see the crowds of people I'm going to have to talk to. Being social has always been tough for me.

"S-so you're shy too?" Someone whispers from behind me and I turn to see the guy that won the 135th Games, Omri I think his name is. I snarl at him, how dare he assume and judge me. I turn back to the window and hear a little whimper from Omri.

"You think I'm crazy don't you?" The tall girl giggles from behind me, "that I do drugs or something?" I notice a purple streak in her dirty blonde hair and I get distracted from her question, just shrugging in answer.

Before she says anything else, I hear the president's booming voice from outside. I do hope he isn't reaped as his jolly and obnoxious voice is far too much for me to handle as well as this girl. I think about the girl again, where do I remember her from? Oh yes...she won the Games 3 years ago in the city of Atlantic with only one kill, the other finalist, the boy from 12.

Not many people were very happy with her victory as she wasn't 'exciting' enough seeing as her only kill was a mercy kill. I hadn't watched much of her games like the old beaten TV in the orphanage only lasted an hour or so before it blanked off and we had to wait for it to turn back on.

I pull my mind away from the orphanage, the reason I'm here is because of that place, to actually get some money and a living place after they kicked me out, they left me with nothing. Just an 18-year-old on the streets of the grand Capitol, don't ask me how I was able to get the job, I don't even know myself.

"And now welcome our new escort, Mr. Aston Ford!" I take a couple more deep breaths and open the doors of the justice building, trying to smile but failing miserably. I get 1 or 2 claps, what can I expect from District 6. As Omri and Bryx are announced, almost the whole crowd cheers for them.

I'm not jealous, just annoyed.

"Alright...um I'm going to pick now," I say and the microphone makes a loud squeaking sound making the last bit of my sentence inaudible, I pick out a slip anyway. I read out loud,

"Carson Caster, please." There's some shuffling and a male in his late thirties begins to approach the stage, for some reason, I see a small smile on his face. Usually, the typical family member would be upset that they had to choose someone to go into a deathmatch. He stands next to me and reaches over to speak into the mic.

"I pick my elder brother, Antoine Caster." He says bluntly and then walks back down the steps without another word. Suddenly, there's a commotion from the group at the far end, all in orange jumpsuits, someone is getting beaten! Peacekeepers rush in, firing warning shots and breaking the fight up. A male, older than Carson, comes out of the crowd, bruised and scratched.

There are gasps as the criminal walks up the steps and stands beside me. What was all that about? I think but don't ask and move onto picking another slip.

"Chiron Valencia." A deep shout comes from the crowd of males in their 40's he is screaming,

"No, not me, please! No!" The Peacekeepers drag a struggling man with blonde hair up to the stage, he's sobbing and I can barely make out what he says.

"M-my d-d-daughter, Galena." He chokes out and he's thrown to the ground, crawling back to his spot in the crowd, his daughter in a beautiful dress, walks up to the stage. There are tears in her eyes but she manages a smile and nods as the reaping ends.

The tributes shake hands without me having to say anything and we lead back inside.

This is going to be interesting.

**A/N: Oh my gosh, this chapter took me TOO long. I'm so, so, so sorry. I have a poll on my profile, please check it out, hopefully, the next chapter will be out sooner. I feel terrible. Another shout out goes to Platrium with Playing with Capitalism, please check it out.**

**Who will survive longer, Kennon, or Boulevard?  
**

**Who do you prefer?  
**

**What do you think of Antonieta?**

**Review if you can and hopefully see you soon!**

**\- James**


	12. District 7

**A/N: Thanks to JStar14H for Henrietta, Carrot Lord for Jaime, and 20 for Glitter, Rowan, and Fustian. On the poll, I had 6 votes for yes and 1 for no, so I've decided to do this. If you have any time and want to submit, I recommend House of Gold by foxfox12 and timesphobic. I'm also in a 12/12 collab, Dance of the Lost on the account The Pride of Panem, make sure to check it out and submit! I'm also in another collab The Heart of the Wild which is on the account IIStarrySkiesII, so check that out as well.**

* * *

**Henrietta "Etta" Thomas**

**District 7, 13, Female**

* * *

_Goodbyes_

* * *

I'm guided between Peacekeepers into one of the goodbye rooms of the District 7 Justice Building. I fall onto the velvet red sofa that stands in the middle of the room, tears streaming down my face like waterfalls. The moment of the reaping flashes my mind, the escort calling Anna's name and the idiot had to pick me...my own sister laughed as she called my name.

My head throbs and I choke on my sobs, wondering when anyone will come. I take a quick glance around the luxurious room full of antiques and shelves, a massive window that holds some slight light but the blinds are closed, I take a couple more deep breaths and stare in awe at the shiny golden chandelier that hangs above me.

"Etta!" My mother shrieks as she runs into the room, also sobbing. I had never known my mother to cry, she had always been a strong and strict, but loving, figure in my life. Someone who would prevent my fun because I hanged out with my friends too much and skipped school but everything has changed now. My mother is the person I wan to hang onto, the one I'm scared to let go of as she pulls me closer in her tight hug.

I look over her shoulder and see my father at the doorway looking at me, dazed. The man I've always known to be emotionless, mean, and controlling actually looks sympathetic. He's smiling a sad smile, one that comforts me almost encourages me. My mom pulls away and my father sits down next to me, putting his arm around my shoulder.

I notice that Anna has not come to say goodbye, I wonder what my parents may do to her, I hope it's something bad because she has caused her family and me so much pain. The pain I never thought I would feel. The parents I always hated I now love more than ever before, I now appreciate and praise them because they have done so much for me.

"Time is up." A Peacekeeper barks as he enters the room, my mother whimpers and clutches my arm with a tight grip, repeating,

"Oh, Etta, you beautiful girl." At least 5 times before my father pulls her away. I take a deep breath as I watch them leave the room, my mother not breaking eye contact with me until I can no longer see her down the long hallway.

I wait a little while longer in the room before my friends all scare me as they rush through the door in a large crowd. Lily, my best friend, is shaking her head, frowning. She's not crying, she wouldn't cry if even herself got reaped, it's just not her thing. Josh jumps down next to me, I despise him for always trying to get into my pants but he's a good friend nonetheless.

He grabs my head and I stare into his eyes, I'm barely attracted to him but, for some reason, today I feel different. He leans in for a passionate kiss and I don't resist as his lips move against mine and tongue slips cheekily through.

"Ooh! Josh and Etta sitting in a tree!" I pull away and slap the idiotic boy David across the face.

"Hey! Don't slap his face, I don't want you to ruin him for me for tonight." Charlie laughs winking, she's the more popular and attractive one of the friends, she's slept with most of the school and, as much as I hate to say it, I'm jealous of her irresponsibility. The 2 have a quick snog and then they hear me sniff and the attention comes back to me, just how I like it.

"We'll make sure that bitch's life is a living hell while you're gone, Etta." James chuckles.

"Yeah we will, when you come back she'll never do anything to you again."

When, when I come back. I'm coming home. I'm going to do whatever it takes to win The Hunger Games.

"You guys really think I could win."

"Meh, doubt it. The careers will kill you in the bloodbath." Charlie says and I tear up again.

"Charlie!" Josh shouts and she shrugs.

"Everyone out, time's up." Everyone leaves but Josh.

"Bye," I say and he smiles sheepishly.

"When you come back...do you think...we'll...us...we'll ever happen?" He asks and I snort but realize he's serious, so I stand up and kiss him gently on the lips which then turns to him holding on for longer. I'm confused. I don't love him but I want to kiss him, I want that sense of someone who cares for me.

"Yes." I let out and I'm not sure why. I'm not attracted to his pale freckled face or dark brown hair that hangs in curtains. I don't love Josh, yet something changed in me tonight and I now feel like love is the last thing I can hold onto. He leaves, smiling and blushing.

* * *

**Jaime Middleton**

**District 7, 17, Male**

* * *

_Goodbyes_

* * *

I can't believe everything that just happened. Candless had been reaped and I had fucking shouted for him to pick me, to choose to kill me. My breathing is heavy and the Peacekeepers shove me into the room, closing the door behind me.

I sigh and sit on the velvet couch, I wonder if my act of 'bravery' could get me more liked by the Capitol. I guess it could, I wasn't screaming and crying like a lot of other kids do and my district partner had been sobbing the whole time. I had seen her at school a little bit but I never even knew her name until now, now she was going to have to die for me to be able to live.

"Fuck you!" I scream at the Peacekeepers behind the door, I know they can hear me but they don't answer. Suddenly, the door bursts open and I jump to my feet as Candless and the rest of my family come through the door. My dad is crying and my 2 little sisters are holding onto him with fear in their eyes. They both run to me and jump onto me, pushing me onto the sofa and wrapping me in a tight hug.

"Jaime, I'm so sorry...it was in the heat of the moment and you asked me too I-" I interrupt Candless as he starts to break down, I've never seen my hard-working elder brother so worked up.

"It's okay, Candless," I say and he sits down on the sofa, joining into the group hug with Becky, Maia, and I. I hear a couple sniffs from my dad and open my eyes, he's a mess. Hair everywhere, face red, he's sobbing. What are they going to do without me...? I think of them starving because they couldn't get the extra cent from me working.

Or my sisters taking out tesserae and getting reaped. I shiver at the thought of it and hold them closer and tighter, I can't let go, I just can't.

"Time's up." A gruff voice says but I don't let go, I'm not going to just let them starve. I hold them tighter as the Peacekeepers start to pull them off and they fight to keep hold of me.

"Let go!" I keep on holding and my father starts to shake his head.

"Guys, let's go." He says but they don't. Then, the worst thing that could ever happen, happened. A gunshot went off and in a matter of a second, I let go of them and jump to my feet, looking at the dead body that used to be my dad. My sisters and brother scream and I stare in shock at what I've done. The Games haven't even started yet and I have got someone killed...not just someone, my dad.

A pool of blood forms around him and I stare into his lifeless eyes as my family is pushed out the room. How could they do this?! These horrible people. I begin to sob for the first time since this mess all happened. Tears flood down my face as I crouch next to my father, 2 peacekeepers pick him up and another mops up the floor, they take him out the door and I scream for them to come back but the door is slammed behind me.

When Jenim and Jaxon come, I stare at the bloodstain on the floor, motionless. Unable to speak. They understand and while Jenim is crying, Jaxon sits next to me and comforts me.

"Your dad?" I nod and Jenim chokes on a sob, running at me and pulling me into a massive hug.

"I'm so sorry, Jaime." She cries and Jaxon shakes his head, patting me on the back. My 2 best friends mean the most to me, more than anyone (except my family) and they're the shoulder I need to cry on.

"We'll see you when you get home."

"Help my family...when it was all 3 of us working we barely had enough to eat but now with only him...they could starve."

"Of course, we'll make sure they're getting enough to keep them alive," Jaxon says and I thank him with a small hug. He's never been the most emotional but even he's trying not to cry. A tear comes down his face and I laugh.

"Don't cry, you'll make me cry!"

"That ship sailed." Jenim chuckles and we have one last hug as the Peacekeepers take them away. I don't resist this time, I don't want to hurt anybody else. I can't hurt anybody else. Not until I get into that arena and win these Games.

I'm guided outside the train where Henrietta waits and I nod at her as she smiles.

"Your father...is he okay?" She whispers, she must've seen the Peacekeepers take away his dead body. I shake my head and manage to let out one word.

"Dead." Her eyes go wide and she covers her mouth. I stare into the distance, my eyes tearing up again and we walk into the train, unprepared for what may come next.

* * *

**Henrietta "Etta" Thomas**

**District 7, 13, Female**

* * *

_Train Ride_

* * *

Jaime is lost. That's all I can say as I look into his saddened eyes. I had seen him a couple of times at school, he was always enthusiastic and slightly reckless, he always made his friends laugh and looked like a great guy to be around.

I feel for him, I really do. His father is dead, meaning his siblings are helpless as he goes on this death journey. I can't afford to think like this, though. If I do, I may never have the courage I need to win these Games. He's my enemy and as much as I want to feel bad for him, I want to go home more.

"Hello." A voice says and I realized I had almost forgotten about our mentors. The person that appears is a good looking man, he's very young (his early 20's) and has a large athletic build. I remember Rowan, he won only 4 years ago. His father was very popular in district 7 for starting the career move and making the first training center. Unfortunately, it was torn down by Peacekeepers for being 'illegal'.

"Are you here to help us talk strategy?" Jaime asks sternly but Rowan only laughs.

"Strategy!? Oh boy, if you haven't been trained your whole life you're as good as dead! Even my father had trained for most of his life and he ended up dying in the bloodbath." He rolls his eyes and takes a bottle of wine, holding it up.

"I was here for this." He says, smiling and he returns to the back of the train, most likely where his room is.

"I have to apologize on behalf of my fellow mentor." A voice comes from the shadows and a small figure comes out. Glitter had always been known for his ability to easily become hidden. He was quiet and intelligent in his Games which was 12 years ago but that's all I really know about him.

"Glitter, Glitter Tigerson. I'm your mentor." He says, shaking my hand quickly.

"Jaime...you have Rowan." Jaime groans and lazily walks off in the direction Rowan had gone with his bottle of wine.

"Hi, I'm Etta."

"Nice to meet you, Henrietta," he replies and takes a seat, ushering for me to sit opposite him.

"This must be quite the shock, hm? Having your sister pick you.

"To be truly honest, I knew it would be me when Anna got reaped. Of course, it didn't stop me from freaking out but Anna and I have never been very close and she's always had a strange hatred for me like she's out for my blood.

"Well, Henrietta, you may want to get used to that feeling." I nod, the careers will be out for my blood, I'm small and young, and easy to pick off at the bloodbath. "Although, I can tell the careers may not be a powerful alliance this year. We'll watch the reaping recaps when Jaime comes back and you can tell me what you think but I believe a lot of them aren't your typical careers, especially that poor girl from 4."

"What girl from 4?"

"A small 10-year-old by the name of Ada. I have a feeling she won't last long but the Capitol is excited for her, they've always had a soft spot for young careers and she's got many betters already. It's clear she'll get sponsors but what about you Etta? What do you have that will make the Capitol plead for your safety and beg for your return?"

I think hard. There must be something, right? I have to have something special! I have to...I'm unique, right? The more I think about it the more self-conscious I feel. Who said the Capitol would even pay attention to me, yet like me!? The waterworks start again and I can't help it. I've always felt like I meant something to the world like I was going to do great things but...

I'm just that wannabe popular girl that skips school. I'm useless. Even my own sister hated me.

"I- nothing." I cry and he nods at me.

"Nothing."

I run, as far as I can go until I reach the room labeled D7F. They couldn't even put my name. That''s all I am to the capitol, the useless D7F that nobody is going to even bother to look at because she's got no talents, no good looks. I scream as I slam my door shut and blindly fall onto my bed.

A song starts to play and I slowly drift to sleep.

* * *

**Jaime Middleton**

**District 7, 17, Male**

* * *

_Train Ride_

* * *

I storm into the room that Rowan had gone into with his wine just moments before. The lights are off and I hear the shower on,

"Hey! Don't think you're just gonna get out of mentoring me that easily!" I cry, smashing on the door. The shower turns off and I hear a grunt, suddenly, the door unlocks and opens, a naked Rowan comes out the bathroom. I'm shocked and I close my eyes, turning around me. I'm embarrassed to see it but...nevermind. I mean, he's kinda cute. Oh, shut up Jaime, he's a jerk.

"I'm done." He chuckles and I turn to see him in shorts. His top is still off, though.

"Put a shirt on." I manage and he laughs again.

"Don't your prefer me like this? The Capitolites do." He winks and I roll my eyes, turning his quarter's lights on. I want to slap him, for whatever reason, I feel like I should hurt him. Unfortunately, that won't sit very well with the Capitol and all I need to focus on for right now is getting home Candless, Becky, and Maia.

"Done." He sighs and I turn around again, luckily he's fully clothed this time.

"Mentor me. Help me win." I say and his face turns from cocky to angry. His fists are clenched and he starts to walk toward me.

"You little...I had no mentor! I still won. Don't make me do the work for you." I scowl.

"As I recall, Glitter mentored you."

"No, he was was too focused on the female tribute, Oakland Monroe. Oh, it felt good to kill her." I despise him, every part of this man I despise. He's cruel, selfish, and cocky. I do what I know I shouldn't but it's too late, my knuckles have already connected to his face. He growls and grabs me by the neck I struggle free and kick him back. Then, he laughs. He laughs... The little bitch actually laughs. That's the final straw for me and I grab the vase on the stand behind me, throwing it on his face.

If he wasn't mad before, he is now. He bluntly pulls shards out of his face before bashing me into the TV, having it come on top of me. I almost yelp out but stop myself, he won't win. He can't. I make sure of that as I lift the TV off of me and manage to throw it at him just as Peacekeepers burst through the door, along with an astonished Glitter.

I groan and leave him on the floor, pushing past the Peacekeepers. I turn to the hallway and see a red-faced Henrietta with tears still trickling down her cheeks.

"What are you so upset about?" She shakes her head and goes back into her room. I go into my room and kick off my shoes, irritated. Then, I turn the TV on and decide to watch the recaps by myself.

I watch 1-6 and skip past 7 as I don't want to watch Candless picking me all over again. A 15-year-old girl is reaped and she walks up to the stage, sobbing as she calls out her brother's name. He's calm and collected, hugging his sister as she passes by him. He then stands next to the escort. This time, a male is reaped and they pick their 'only remaining family member' a 10-year-old comes out of the female section but they inform the escort that they're non-binary.

Next, I move onto District 9.

* * *

**Amelia Loreal**

**District 7 Escort, 25, Female**

* * *

_Welcome Party_

* * *

I clap my hands and squeal as I rush off the train, handing my bags to an avox that stands at the side of the opening door. I had never thought I would be in the Capitol if it wasn't for being a tribute but I was clearly shown to be wrong.

I'm so excited about this job and how it's going to get me out there so I can aspire my dreams to be a professional gymnast. I could almost do a cartwheel right now and so I do. I do about 5 in a row, giggling the whole way. Suddenly, I hear a throat being cleared and turn to see the two tributes looking at me, eyebrows raised.

"Exciting, isn't it? I've lived in 1 my whole life but this has always been my dream!"

"How did you become an escort if you live in 1?" The young girl asks.

"Because they opened it so anybody from 1, 2 or 4 can apply and be safe for the reaping," I say, smiling and talking in an accent that I hope her young mind can understand.

"Of course they did." The boy sighs and I giggle, turning around. Outer districts and their jealousy is so out of control!

"Come on, we have to get ready for the welcoming party and then after that, you will have to change for the chariot ride."

"The welcoming party...? I've never heard of that."

"It's new this year for the twist, silly. Do you 2 know anything?" We enter the grand building that we'll be staying and I usher them into their rooms. First, I head into the female's room and her stylist team begins work as I come in.

"So, what's your name?" I ask.

"Etta." I nod.

"Etta...?"

"Thomas."

"Etta Thomas! Pleased to meet you, I'm Amelia Loreal, you're escort."

"Mhm." Her leg is waxed and she makes a little squeal noise. I decide to go check up on the boy and find him struggling to co-operate with the stylists as they try to strip his clothes.

"Come on! Let me help." I pull off his underwear and shorts and the stylists go right away to waxing, thanking me.

"Just doing my job!" I accidentally trip up one of the stylists and clasp my mouth.

"I'm so terribly sorry!"

"It's fine." She smiles.

"No, truly I am." I hate being my clumsy self. I head out the door quickly and take a seat next to Etta's door while I wait for them to finish. I had done up my hair and put on the red dress before we got off the train so I'm all prepared.

An hour later, I begin to lead them to the back of the building where there are sounds of cheering and laughter. Etta has her blonde hair down and is in a black tank top and skirt, while Jaime is in a green vest and beige trousers. His hair is slicked back.

"You ready?" I ask nervously and Etta nods while the boy stays expressionless. Just then, I remember his name.

"Jaime, ready." He sighs and opens the door, going into the garden where Capitolites and victors congratulate the 2 of them for being reaped. I stand behind them until we reach the end of the red carpet and I see three escorts toward the drink bar. Sadly, they ignore me when I attempt interaction.

Then, I catch someone glancing at me and take a closer look to see it's Vidia, from last year's games.

"Oh my god, hi!" I squeal and go over to talk to her. She looks awkward as I try to start a conversation and end up just walking off. The party isn't really turning out how I hoped it to.

I grab a glass of wine and stand next to Glitter. He isn't really talking to anyone either so he and I just drink as we watch everyone else talk the night away. I can't help but feels little left out

**A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the new format. I got a little bored of writing the same old, same old so this helped me a bit with my writer's block, haha. Another shoutout goes to Thrill of the Chase. It's a new idea to a SYOT and deserves more submissions so I beg you to please submit to TheAmazingJAJ.**

**Who will survive longer, Etta, or Jaime?  
**

**Who do you prefer?  
**

**What do you think of Amelia and the mentors?**

**Review if you can and hopefully see you soon!**

**\- James**


End file.
